Cuneiform

Cuneiform is a system of writing that was first created by the Sumerians of Mesopotamia. It is distinguished by its wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets, made by means of a blunt reed for a stylus. The name cuneiform itself simply means "wedge shaped", from the Latin cuneus "wedge" and forma "shape," and came into English usage probably from Old French cunéiforme.

History

Cuneiform writing was gradually replaced by the Phoenician alphabet during the Neo-Assyrian Empire. By the second century AD, the script had become extinct, and all knowledge of how to read it was lost until it began to be deciphered in the 19th century.

Decipherment

The decipherment of cuneiform writing would not have been possible without the Behistun Inscription, a trilingual cuneiform inscription written in Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian. The inscription was crucial in understanding the symbols, signs, and system of cuneiform writing.

Writing system

Cuneiform documents were written on clay tablets, by means of a blunt reed for a stylus. The impressions left by the stylus were wedge-shaped, thus giving rise to the name cuneiform ("wedge shaped").

Languages

Cuneiform was used to write several languages of the Ancient Near East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era. It was used for Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Elamite, Hittite, Ugaritic, Hurrian, and Urartian.

See also

• Sumerians
• Mesopotamia
• Phoenician alphabet
• Neo-Assyrian Empire
• Behistun Inscription

Cuneiform Resources
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