doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2024.165
Credibility: 989
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Researchers have discovered that the earliest signs of writing were influenced by symbols on “cylinder seals” used in the trade of agricultural products and textiles in ancient Mesopotamia.
This study suggests that cuneiform writing, created around 3100 B.C., had its roots in accounting methods used to track the production and transportation of goods.
What were cylinder seals:
Cylinder seals were stone objects that, when rolled over clay, imprinted symbols.
They were used to mark commercial transactions or identify letters.
Some of these seals date back to 4400 B.C., well before the invention of writing.
Researchers Kathryn Kelley and Mattia Cartolano of the University of Bologna studied these seals and identified images linked to the transport of jars and fabrics between cities, suggesting that such symbols were converted into signs in proto-cuneiform writing.
How cuneiform writing worked
Cuneiform writing was done with a stylus that left wedge-shaped marks in the clay, forming signs that represented sounds.
This technique was developed by the Sumerians, one of the first civilizations in the region.
Later, cuneiform writing was adopted by the Akkadians, who used it for more than 2,000 years.
The importance of the discovery:
The symbols on the seals show how ancient images were transformed into written signs.
Professor Silvia Ferrara highlighted that this transition marks the moment when humanity moved from prehistory to history, creating a new way of recording ideas.
Differing opinions
Not all experts completely agree with the hypothesis.
Anthropologist Gordon Whittaker believes that it is too early to say that seals inspired writing.
He believes that some forms are too generic to prove this connection.
Archaeologist Holly Pittman, who proposed a similar idea 30 years ago, was pleased to see her ideas being revised and recognized.
These discussions help to better understand how simple commercial symbols evolved into a complex writing system that was fundamental to the development of ancient societies.
Published in 11/17/2024 23h46
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Original study:
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