At all times, the activities of people required the coordination of joint efforts, and, consequently, the transfer of information. Long before the appearance of speech, humanity was already using non-verbal means of communication. Most of these non-verbal means of transmitting information, despite their primitiveness, were simple and reliable.
Initially, a person used a variety of improvised means to transmit information. These could have been specially processed stones, tree branches arranged in a certain order, the color of clothing, and much more. The message could be encrypted in the form of certain body positions and gestures. Over time, special items appeared, the only purpose of which was to convey a message. For example, the Indians of North America used wampum belts for such purposes, which were beads or shells strung on cords.
Bonfires were one of the most ancient ways to transmit information over a distance. The smoke from them could be seen very far away, and the relative position of the fires, the size of the smoke column and its color made it possible to convey different messages, for example, about the place of general gathering or a warning of an impending danger.
The people of China have achieved great skill in the non-verbal transmission of information. In the daytime, they flew large kites into the sky, applying different colors to them. Such a prearranged signal was visible at a considerable distance and understood only by initiates, which was very important during military operations. This tool proved to be so simple and reliable that even Europeans used it to send military signals in the early 20th century.
Not only visual information can be transmitted in a non-verbal way. The inhabitants of Africa have long used special drums - tam-tams. This musical instrument was usually in the shape of an elongated barrel, and was played by striking it with a felt stick. Tamtams were used not only for amusement, but also for transmitting messages over considerable distances. Even lengthy bilateral negotiations could be conducted in the language of sounds.
With the development of technical means of communication, the importance of methods of non-verbal transmission of information has decreased. But even today, non-verbal communication is widely used in military affairs. For example, the commanders of tank units during hostilities, when it is undesirable to find themselves on the air, give commands to the crews of other tanks using flags. Such a simple tool allows you to bypass the control of conventional lines of communication used by the enemy.
