[kj] BTATS symbol - again

[Dave Axford]

> Symbols are just meaningless symbols.I feel that they are used to mystify
> uninteresting things.If its not written in a language then its meaningless.

Ouch! That's quite a statement Peter. Iconography has been used for many centuries to relay both simple and complex information to the masses.

>   The only things that should be of interest is trying to decipher what
> ancient symbols mean,before they had alphabets.

Cultures may have languages, but only until recently, the majority of a given population could read or write. Even today in our modern western world we have many, many examples of iconography that are seen virtually everywhere. It's just a very expedient way of explaining things.

>     Symbols are open to misinterpretation,Which makes them redundant in the
> field of knowledge.

Yes and no. If I'm driving down the street in a country where I don't speak the language and I see a red octagon with something 'scribbled' on it, I have a pretty good idea that it means, "STOP". On the other hand, if cultural differences or biases make interpretation selective as opposed to universal, then we have a problem.

>     If it isnt widely understood then it is useless
> information.........

But for many (ancient) cultures it may very well have been a 'universal symbol' or message. If that culture should die out, then we as outsiders may have a difficult time interpreting it. That shouldn't diminish the importance or relevance of those ideas to those who once understood it. 


Dave
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