BBC News - The story of how we got our alphabets [VIDEO, 5 min]. Also, I show you prehistoric markings and figurative drawings from the LASCAUX CAVE, on a maxicard from MONACO. Also, a link about the famous Tărtăria tablets (in present-day ROMANIA), dated from about 5300 BC!

See this cool virtual visit of Lascaux Caves:
http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/?lng=en#/en/02_00.xml

Please watch: BBC News - The story of how we got our alphabets
Dr James Clackson, senior lecturer in Classics at the University of Cambridge, says here that writing started in Mesopotamia.


Well, check this out:
"The Tărtăria tablets are three tablets, known since the late 19th century excavation at the Neolithic site of Turdaş in Transylvania Romania, by Zsófia Torma, which date to around 5300 BC.^[1] 
They bear incised symbols, the Vinča signs, that have been the subject of considerable controversy among archaeologists, some of whom claim that the symbols represent the earliest known form of writing in the world."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tartaria_tablets.png

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C4%83rt%C4%83ria_tablets

Now, look at the LASCAUX CAVE paintings:

Do you see the markings (tally?) above the horse at the right?

"Lascaux is the setting of a complex of caves in southwestern France famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings. The original caves are located near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne. 

They contain some of the best-known Upper Paleolithic art. 

These paintings are estimated to be 17,300 years old.^[1][2] 

They primarily consist of primitive images of large animals, most of which are known from fossil evidence to have lived in the area at the time. 

In 1979, Lascaux was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list along with other prehistoric sites in the Vézère valley."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux

How about MONACO? You know anything about it, other than Grace Kelly / Grace de Monaco?

Principality of Monaco Principatu de Múnegu (Monégasque) Principauté de Monaco (French)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Deo Juvante"  (Latin) "With God's Help"
Anthem:  Hymne Monégasque
Location of  Monaco  (green) on the European continent  (dark grey)  —  [Legend]
Capital		Monaco[1] 43°43′N 7°25′E
Largest Most populatedquartier		Monte Carlo
Official language(s)		French[2]
Common languages		Monégasque, Italian andEnglish
Demonym		Monégasque or Monegasque
Government		Constitutional monarchy Principality
-	Prince	Albert II
-	Minister of State	Michel Roger
-	President of the National Council	Stéphane Valeri
Independence
-	House of Grimaldi	1297
-	Constitution	1911
Area
-	Total	1.98 km2 (234th) 0.76 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0.0[3]
Population
-	2011 estimate	35,986 [4] (211th)
-	2008 census	35,352[3]
-	Density	15,142/km2 (1st) 39,217/sq mi

"Monaco (ⁱ/ˈmɒnəkoʊ/), officially the Principality of Monaco (French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque: Principatu de Múnegu; Italian: Principato di Monaco;Occitan: Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city state on the Côte d'Azur (French Riviera). It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about 16 km (9.9 mi) from Italy. Its area is 1.98 km² (0.76 sq mi) with a population of 35,986 as of 2011. Monaco boasts the world's highest GDP nominal per capita at $151,630 and is the most densely populated country in the world. Monaco also has the world's highest life expectancy at almost 90 years, and the lowest unemployment rate. After a recent expansion of Port Hercule Monaco's total area is 2.05 km² (0.79 sq mi), with new plans to extend the district of Fontvieille, with land reclaimed from the Mediterranean Sea.

Monaco is a principality governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as head of state. The House of Grimaldi has ruled Monaco since 1297^[7], and the state's sovereignty was officially recognized by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861. Despite Monaco being independent and pursuing its own foreign policy course, its national defence is the responsibility of France."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaco

"Din Togo, din Togo - da' de-a lu' cui? De-a lu' Nicole Coste si Albert II de Monaco"

[Old joke: A Romanian peasant from a remote village sees, for the first time in his life, a black man (student in Romania).

- Where you from?

- From Togo.

- Ah, from the village of Togo...but - oh, my God! - WHO are your parents?]

"Prince Albert II of Monaco has acknowledged that he has had an illegitimate child with a flight attendant from Togo, his lawyer said."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4656797.stm

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