In ancient times, the oral communication system operated in an environment that was:

In ancient times the oral communication system worked in a non-representative environment, one where speakers stood before listeners directly rather than being stood in for by any recording or medium.

A literate environment presumes reading and writing, yet ancient oral exchange rested on the spoken word and memory, not on written texts.

An urban setting points to city life, but oral communication flourished across village and tribal life too and was not tied to towns.

A mediated environment means messages carried by an intervening channel, the very opposite of face-to-face speech that reaches the listener without a technical go-between.

In such non-representative conditions meaning passed live, shaped by presence, voice and immediate response.

Sound and memory, not stored symbols, held the message together.