bustrophedon

Bustrophedon is a type of writing or text layout in which the direction of writing alternates between left to right and right to left on each line. The term "bustrophedon" itself comes from the Greek words "bous" meaning "ox" and "trophos" meaning "course", likely due to the similarity in writing style to the path an ox plows a field, alternating its direction.

This writing style was first mentioned by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who described it as a way of writing used by the ancient Egyptians. It is also mentioned in the writings of other ancient Greek authors, such as Aristotle and Strabo. The purpose of bustrophedon writing is not entirely clear, but it has been suggested that it may have been used to check for correct spelling and to ensure that the text was written in the correct order.

The use of bustrophedon writing was not widespread and appears to have been limited to certain regions and languages. It is still studied by scholars today as an example of an early writing technique and as a curiosity of ancient cultural practices.

Archaeological finds have confirmed the use of bustrophedon writing on various ancient artifacts, including ostraca, stone tablets, and pottery. However, the use of this writing style appears to have declined with the rise of more standardized writing systems in the ancient world. Today, bustrophedon writing is of interest mainly to scholars of ancient languages and cultures.