Modern Bonds from Ancient Messages

We made a stamp set that opens the door to an unlimited number of journeys through ancient writing systems and the history of the written word – and we’ll walk you through how you can make it at home + drop in a few activity suggestions to get you started!

Introduction

Expanding the multilingual and pluricultural repertoires of young learners can set them up to be culturally aware global citizens. Engaging young students with written word through the lens of ciphers can be a fun way to encourage deeper curiosities about culture, history, cognitive science, and more while setting a foundation for future learning.

Making a stamp kit allow kids to focus on the message making rather than handwriting and replicating forms while making the entry activity feel more like art making than simply writing.

Making your Own Set

What you’ll need:

• Carving tool
• Rubber block
• Ruler
• Pen/Pencil
• Stamping ink
• Paper (optional)
• Box (optional)

You’ll first need to choose what alphabet you make your stamps for. We chose the proto-siniatic alphabet but you can choose whatever alphabet aligns best with your narrative, historical, and cultural interests.

Once you’ve made up your mind, you’ll need to decide on the size of your stamps. With the number of characters and your desired stamp size in mind, you can start sectioning off your rubber stamp block with a ruler and a pen or pencil.

Now you can start marking out individual letters in each section to serve as guidelines for carving. Remember: Your drawings need to be mirror images of your desired stamped image!

Once your guides are laid out, we recommend that you cut your block into individual letters and then begin carving them once separated.

That’s all there is to it! You’ll need a stamping pad to use them and it’d be helpful to pair the stamp set with an easily legible key. You can also make some weathered paper with black tea and some crumpling for a cool narrative effect if you’d like.

A couple Activity Ideas

Role play as inhabitants of the time period during which your script was used. Think about how people lived then and what they may have talked about. Send each other letters via snail-mail in your new found language or .

Create written artifacts and cultural objects from that time period.