Why IE is NOT "a Steppe Language"

Glen first wrote:
<<The fact remains that there is no trace of IndoEuropean or ANY Steppe
language to be found in Anatolia when writing first begins.>>

Then I wrote:
<<QUICK CORRECTION: When writing "first begins" in Anatolia, it IS in a
Indo-European language. I believe the earlier Assyrian texts (@1900) which
apparently showed first evidence of IE (in Anatolia) were found in modern
Syria....>> (BTW, I can't take seriously the idea that Sumerian texts should
have been written in an IE language instead of Sumerian no matter where IE
was at the time.)

Glen wrote:
<<Yes, Steve, I'm sorry. I _was_ asking too much of you to demonstrate the
Anatolian presence of a Steppe language in the earliest historical times :P
Too bad there wasn't any.>>

Glen, you specifically asked for "IndoEuropean OR any Steppe language to be
found in Anatolia when writing first begins." When writing begins in
Anatolia, IE is there. "Steppe" languages are not.

Hittite/Luwian/Palaic are IE languages. They appears 1900-1200BC. This is
earlier by more than a thousand years earlier than ANY written language - IE
or otherwise - APPEARS IN THE STEPPES.

Glen also wrote!!!!:
<<Writing is the only way to _directly_ show that a language is present.
Archaeology on the other hand can only hint at the linguistic state of
affairs.>>

Okay. I'll hold you to this statement. I answered your questions. Now
please answer mine.

When is the earliest written evidence of a Uralic language on the steppes or
otherwise? When is the earliest written evidence of Altaic langauge on the
steppes or otherwise? When is the earliest written evidence of any IE
language on the steppes? When is the earliest written evidence of ANY
language on the steppes? How much LATER than all of these is written IE in
Anatolia?


Glen you wrote:
<<Writing is the only way to _directly_ show that a language is present.>>

By THAT standard, I can _directly_ show that IE languages were in Anatolia
and the Aegean at least 2000 years before you can even show that Uralic or
Altaic or Aleutian EVEN EXISTED or where they would have been located. And
written IE doesn't even show up on the steppes until a millennia later than
it does in Anatolia.

By your own standard, based on the earliest _direct_ evidence we have, the
earliest IE languages were NOT "steppe" languages.

Steve