Writing, developed first by people in Sumer, is considered a hallmark of civilization and "appears to accompany the rise of complex administrative bureaucracies or the conquest state". Traders and bureaucrats relied on writing to keep accurate records. Like money, the writing was necessitated by the size of the population of a city and the complexity of its commerce among people who are not all personally acquainted with each other. However, writing is not always necessary for civilization, as shown by the Inca civilization of the Andes, which did not use writing at all but except for a complex recording system consisting of knotted strings of different lengths and colours: the "Quipus", and still functioned as a civilized society.
writing developed first by people in sumer is considered a hallmark of civilization and "appears to accompany the rise of complex administrative bureaucracies or the conquest state" traders and bureaucrats relied on writing to keep accurate records like money the writing was necessitated by the size of the population of a city and the complexity of its commerce among people who are not all personally acquainted with each other however writing is not always necessary for civilization as shown by the inca civilization of the andes which did not use writing at all but except for a complex recording system consisting of knotted strings of different lengths and colours the "quipus" and still functioned as a civilized society