Cuneiform, developed by the Sumerians 5,000 years ago, is considered the first written language. It was created by imprinting a wedge-shaped tool into clay tablets. Other materials were used less frequently. Cuneiform inscriptions carry information about politics and religion. The Louvre in Paris has a large collection of cuneiform artifacts. Cave drawings are not a true representation of language, as they represent events rather than spoken words.
Most linguists, historians and archaeologists claim that cuneiform, which appeared about 5,000 years ago, is the first truly written language. Cuneiform was developed by the Sumerians in southern Mesopotamia, the land that currently lies within the borders of Iraq. Most of the surviving cuneiform evidence exists as inscriptions or impressions in stone and clay tablets. Cuneiform was created by imprinting a wedge-shaped tool into planks of uncured clay. In fact, the Latin word cuneus means “wedge.” These writing tools, also known as ‘styli’, were usually made from reeds.
Other materials such as wax, metal, ivory, and glass were used less frequently for cuneiform inscription. Of course, we have no way of knowing what was etched into other, more perishable materials, such as tree bark or tanned animal skins. Some archaeologists believe, however, that papyrus was rarely used because the raw materials needed to make it were not common in the area. However, we can only rely on what has survived to teach us about the culture of the people who created the first form of written language.
There are, in fact, numerous versions of cuneiform that were developed in the Middle East. Scholars have identified Ugaritic, Assyrian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Hittite, Persian, and Elamite forms. Cuneiform is not a common form of writing today. Rather, there are few scholars who have the training to decipher it.
Since cuneiform was the written language of ancient peoples, the artifacts in which it was inscribed are quite valuable; not only are they very old, but they also inform our history. Cuneiforms inscribed in statues and obelisks often carry information regarding the politics and religion of the time. For this reason, artifacts that contain cuneiform inscriptions are often housed in museums. The Louvre in Paris, for example, has a large collection of clay tablets, statues and obelisks with cuneiform inscriptions.
Although cuneiform is the earliest known written language, humans were attempting to create anything like written language long before cuneiform was actually developed. Linguists consider the cave drawings, which archaeologists have discovered to be up to 20,000 years old, a precursor to language. However, the cave drawings are not a true representation of the language.
Written language is actually a visual representation of the spoken words we use to communicate. Rock drawings, on the other hand, are the representation of an event. The main difference is that a rock drawing can be understood by anyone, regardless of the language or languages spoken. An image of the sun flying over a human with a weapon and a fallen animal tells a story that can be universally understood. Written language is not the same, as it has to be decoded for information by a person who understands the symbols and their meanings.
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