
Cuneiform - Wikipedia
Cuneiform is the earliest known writing system [5][6] and was originally developed to write the Sumerian language of southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). Over the course of its history, cuneiform was …
Cuneiform | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica
Nov 27, 2025 · 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 modern designation from the …
Cuneiform - World History Encyclopedia
Nov 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 cultural...
Cuneiform, an introduction – Smarthistory
Cuneiform is one of the oldest forms of writing known. It means “wedge-shaped,” because people wrote it using a reed stylus cut to make a wedge-shaped mark on a clay tablet. Letters enclosed in clay …
The Role of Cuneiform in Early Writing Systems
Jul 27, 2025 · Before the age of paper and print, when history was passed from mouth to mouth and memory held society’s laws and stories, a revolutionary system emerged from the ancient world: …
Cuneiform script - Omniglot
Cuneiform was invented by the Sumerians, who lived in what is now southern, relatively coastal Iraq between about 10,000 and 4,000 years ago. It was first used to write Sumerian, and later Akkadian …
The Cuneiform Script: A Guide to Its Symbols and Meanings
Feb 23, 2025 · Cuneiform is one of the earliest systems of writing, developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia around 3200 BCE. It is characterized by its wedge-shaped marks made on clay …
Home - Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative
By making the form and content of cuneiform texts available online, the CDLI is opening pathways to the rich historical tradition of the ancient Middle East. In close collaboration with researchers, museums …
ETCSL:ETCSLcuneiform
Cuneiform writing was most probably invented in Uruk in southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) about 3400 - 3300 BCE (Glassner 2003:45). It was invented to keep records of goods and services, and …
How It Works – Cuneiform - Truman State University
The word cuneiform comes from the Latin cuneus, meaning “wedge.” This style of writing used a wedge-shaped stylus to make impressions on primarily clay, but also on stone, metal, and wax.