- Cuneiform is a system of writing that was first developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia around 3500 BCE12. It is considered the world's first-known written language2. The Sumerians of the city of Uruk advanced the writing of cuneiform around 3200 BCE, which allowed for the creation of literature1. Cuneiform was used to record everything, including everyday transactions, personal letters, and epic poems like the Epic of Gilgamesh3. Today, it provides historians and archaeologists with an invaluable source of information about ancient history, literature, religion, and science3.Learn more:✕This summary was generated using AI based on multiple online sources. To view the original source information, use the "Learn more" links.Cuneiform is a system of writing first developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia c. 3500 BCE. It is considered the most significant among the many cultural contributions of the Sumerians and the greatest among those of the Sumerian city of Uruk, which advanced the writing of cuneiform c. 3200 BCE and allowed for the creation of literature.www.worldhistory.org/cuneiform/Cuneiform was a writing system invented by the ancient Sumer people of the Mesopotamian region (ancient Middle East). According to historians, this form of writing emerged about 5,000 years ago, making it the world’s first-known written language.worldhistoryedu.com/cuneiform-writing-history-mea…Developed over 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, cuneiform was used to record everything – including everyday transactions, personal letters, and epic poems, like the Epic of Gilgamesh. Today, it leaves historians and archaeologists with an invaluable source of information about ancient history, literature, religion, and science.www.historydefined.net/cuneiform/
- People also ask
- adjectivecuneiform (adjective)
- denoting or relating to the wedge-shaped characters used in the ancient writing systems of Mesopotamia, Persia, and Ugarit, surviving mainly on clay tablets:"a cuneiform inscription"
- anatomydenoting three bones of the tarsus (ankle) between the navicular bone and the metatarsals.
- biologywedge-shaped:"the eggs are cuneiform"
nouncuneiform (noun)- cuneiform writing:"a Mesopotamian script pre-dating cuneiform"
Originlate 17th century: from French cunéiforme or modern Latin cuneiformis, from Latin cuneus ‘wedge’. - cuneiform, system of writing used in the ancient Middle East. The name, a coinage from Latin and Middle French roots meaning “wedge-shaped,” has been the moder…
- For a table illustrating the development of cuneiform, see below. See more
- The origins of cuneiform may be traced back approximately to the end of the 4t…
- In the course of the 3rd millennium the writing became successively more cursi…
- Britannica Quiz
- Archaeology: Diggin… See more
- Before these developments had been completed, the Sumerian writing syste…
- The earliest type of Semitic cuneiform in Mesopotamia is called the Old Akkadian…
- Special offer for students! Check out our special academic rat… See more
Explore further
WEBNov 17, 2022 · Cuneiform is a system of writing first developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia c. 3500 BCE. It is considered the most significant among the many …
Writing began after pottery was invented, during the Neolithic, when clay tokens were used to record specific amounts of livestock or commodities. In recent years a contrarian view has arisen on the tokens being the precursor of writing. These tokens were initially impressed on the surface of round clay envelopes (clay bullae) and then stored in them. The tokens were then progressively repl…
Wikipedia · Text under CC-BY-SA licenseWEBDec 6, 2023 · The latest known example of cuneiform is an astronomical text from 75 C.E. During its 3,000-year history, cuneiform was used to write around 15 different languages …
Cuneiform Timeline - World History Encyclopedia
WEBNov 17, 2022 · Cuneiform is a system of writing first developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia c. 3500 BCE. It is considered the most significant among the many …
The Origins of Writing | Essay | The Metropolitan …
WEBComplex state systems with proto-cuneiform writing on clay and wood may have existed in Syria and Turkey as early as the mid-fourth millennium B.C. If further excavations in these areas confirm this assumption, then …
WEBMar 1, 2019 · Cuneiform as a robust writing tradition endured 3,000 years. The script—not itself a language—was used by scribes of multiple cultures over that time to write a number of languages other than...
WEBCuneiform was also used to write stories, myths, and personal letters. The latest known example of cuneiform is an astronomical text from 75 C.E. During its 3,000-year …
Cuneiform | Oxford Classical Dictionary
WEBMesopotamia. Sumerian. Akkadian. cuneiform. Subjects. Linguistics. Near East. Updated in this version. Text and bibliography updated to reflect current scholarship. Keywords …
cuneiform writing summary | Britannica
WEBCuneiform was slowly displaced in the first millennium bc by the rise of Aramaic, written in an alphabet script of Phoenician origin. Knowledge of the value of cuneiform signs was lost until the mid-19th century, when …
- Some results have been removed
Skip to content
