What did ancient cuneiform notation look like, and how did it work?

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 envelopes, as well as works of literature, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh have been found.

1. What did cuneiform first look like?
2. What does cuneiform look like where was it created?
3. Why does cuneiform look like that?
4. What does ancient cuneiform writing tell us?

What did cuneiform first look like?

Cuneiform is an ancient writing system that was first used in around 3400 BC. Distinguished by its wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets, cuneiform script is the oldest form of writing in the world, first appearing even earlier than Egyptian hieroglyphics.

What does cuneiform look like where was it created?

Cuneiform was first developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia around 3,500 B.C. The first cuneiform writings were pictographs created by making wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets with blunt reeds used as a stylus. Cuneiform isn't a single writing system, however. ... By 1,000 A.D., cuneiform had become extinct.

Why does cuneiform look like that?

In the mid-3rd millennium BC, a new wedge-tipped stylus was introduced which was pushed into the clay, producing wedge-shaped ("cuneiform") signs; the development made writing quicker and easier, especially when writing on soft clay.

What does ancient cuneiform writing tell us?

With cuneiform, writers could tell stories, relate histories, and support the rule of kings. Cuneiform was used to record literature such as the Epic of Gilgamesh—the oldest epic still known.