had smartphones, messaging applications, social media, and even widespread literacy, communication depended heavily on facial expressions, body language, and gestures.
A person could communicate agreement with a nod.
They could signal someone to stop with a raised hand.
They could beckon someone closer with a movement of the fingers.
And in certain circumstances, a particular gesture could communicate something that would have been difficult or inappropriate to say aloud.
Gestures also allowed people to communicate privately in situations where speaking wasn’t practical.
That’s why hand signs became such an important
