Researchers have uncovered links between the precursor to the world’s oldest writing system and the mysterious, intricate designs left behind by engraved cylindrical seals that were rolled across clay ...

More than 40,000 years ago, Ice Age humans were carving repeated patterns of dots, lines, and crosses into tools and small ivory figurines. A new computational study of more than 3,000 of these ...

An Assyrian gypsum cuneiform dedicatory panel, reign of Tukulti-Ninurta I, circa 1243-1207 BC. Of rectangular form, finely engraved on both sides, with 280 lines of text divided into eight columns ...

A new study has revealed that mysterious signs carved onto Paleolithic artifacts up to 40,000 years ago match the information density of the world's earliest known writing system — pushing the deep ...

1. The Sumerian Account of the Invention of Writing -- 2. Time and Place of the Invention -- 3. Received Ideas: The Pictographic Origins of Cuneiform Writing -- 4. Received Ideas: The Origin of ...

New research shows early humans created structured ancient symbol systems 40,000 years ago, long before formal writing appeared.

1, Looking backwards and forwards -- 2. Going to school -- 3. Who used cuneiform writing? -- 4. How do we understand it, anyway? -- 5. The scribe revealed -- 6. What happened to cuneiform? -- 7. How ...

Digital Clay: Cuneiform languages represent the earliest known writing systems in human history. The Sumerians used this method by making indentations in clay tablets, a practice later adopted by ...