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4 directions (123 history)
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by
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dustin
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DUSTIN                            2023-07-30 18:11
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LEFT SHAPE:  
HAVING WRITTEN THE NUMBERS 1,2 AND 3 WITH AS MANY PARALLEL STROKES, THE ANCIENT PEOPLE OBVIOUSLY GOT BORED OF THAT METHOD (OR IT TOOK TOO MUCH SPACE AND TIME TO WRITE MORE AND MORE STROKES).  
FOR THE "FOUR", THEY STILL USED AS MANY STROKES, BUT THEY CAME UP WITH A NICER STRUCTURE: A CROSS! IT MIGHT HAVE SYMBOLIZED THE 4 MAIN DIRECTIONS.   
  
MIDDLE SHAPE:  
LATER, THE STROKES WERE CONNECTED FOR MORE FLUENT WRITING (AS WE'VE SEEN BEFORE). NOTE THAT THE DOMINANT WRITING DIRECTION USED TO BE RIGHT-TO-LEFT, SO IT MAKES SENSE TO CONNECT THE LEFT END WITH THE TOP END TO WRITE THE CROSS IN ONE STROKE (RIGHT-LEFT-TOP-BOTTOM). AND AGAIN, THE RESULT LOOKS QUITE FAMILIAR ALREADY, DOESN'T IT? :D  
  
RIGHT SHAPE:  
I HAVEN'T FOUND A CLEAR ANSWER ON HOW THE OPEN VERSION OF THE "4" DEVELOPPED, BUT IT SEEMS PLAUSIBLE THAT AFTER THE WRITING DIRECTION STARTED TO CHANGE, THE RIGHT SHAPE WAS SIMPLY EASIER TO WRITE QUICKLY THAN THE MIDDLE SHAPE. AT LEAST I FIND IT MUCH SMOOTHER TO WRITE THE RIGHT SHAPE IN HANDWRITING THAN THE MIDDLE SHAPE ;)  
  
WELL, IN REALITY, BETWEEN THE LEFT AND MIDDLE SHAPE, THERE WERE HISTORICALLY A LOT OF OTHER VARIANTS TOO (BUT ALL QUITE SIMILAR, MANY ROTATED VERSIONS). STILL, THE BASIC TRUTH IS THAT THE DIGIT "4" COMES FROM A CROSS, POSSIBLY REPRESENTING 4 DIRECTIONS :D  
  
FOR RANDOM SEED FANS :D  
THE BD1 CAVES H/3, K/2 AND M/5 USE RANDOM SEED 4 (LIKE THIS CAVE HERE).  
  
PREVIOUS SEEDS:  
SEED 3: B/1, H/2, M/4  
SEED 2: G/1, L/3, M/3  
SEED 1: B/3, M/2 AND - FOR PUZZLERS - THREE LEVEL-1-CAVES :D

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ROB GILBERT                       2023-07-30 18:20
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A REALLY INTERESTING ONE, dustin! GREAT! :D

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DUSTIN                            2023-07-30 18:37
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THANKS rob gilbert, I FOUND THE RESEARCH QUITE FASCINATING TOO :D  
  
THIS PICTURE SHOWS MORE HISTORIC SHAPES BETWEEN THE LEFT AND THE MIDDLE SHAPE:  
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4#/media/File:Evolution4glyph.png" target="external">HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/4#/MEDIA/FILE:EVOLUTION4GLYPH.PNG</a>