Cuneiform sumerian tablet

Clay tablets with Sumerian cuneiform script represent the earliest known human writing system, dating back to around 3400 BCE.

About this subject

Cuneiform script was developed by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (modern-day Iraq). It emerged around 3400 BCE as a system of pictographs to record commercial and administrative transactions. Over time, it evolved into a complex set of wedge-shaped signs (cuneiform means 'wedge-shaped') used to write several languages, including Sumerian, Akkadian, Elamite, and Hittite.

Tablets were made from fresh clay, where scribes pressed a reed stylus to form the signs. After writing, tablets were sun-dried or baked for preservation. Thousands of these tablets have survived, revealing aspects of daily life, laws, literature, mathematics, and astronomy of the Sumerians. The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known literary works, was recorded in this script.

Decipherment of cuneiform began in the 19th century, with scholars like Henry Rawlinson working on the Behistun Inscription. Today, cuneiform is recognized as a world heritage, with major collections in the British Museum and the Louvre. Approximately 500,000 tablets have been discovered, but many remain untranslated.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the origin of cuneiform writing?

Cuneiform script was invented by the Sumerians around 3400 BCE in Mesopotamia. It started as pictographs for accounting and later evolved into wedge-shaped signs.

What is written on most cuneiform tablets?

Most tablets record commercial transactions, administrative records, laws, and contracts. But there are also literary, religious, mathematical, and astronomical texts.

How have cuneiform tablets been preserved for millennia?

Tablets were sun-dried or baked in kilns, making them durable. Many were buried and preserved in the ruins of ancient cities.