History of writing

Me: ... so until the Europeans arrived the Aborigines didn't have writing.
Michael: But Europeans didn't invent writing.
Me: No - but they carried the idea around the world on their ships.

At this point I went out to the washing line. Michael followed and delivered this from the back door.

Michael: The Europeans got it from the Romans. They got it from the Greeks, and they got it from the Egyptians. They got it from the Phoenicians and they got it from the Semites. Who got it from the Syrians.