Who used cuneiform and what was it used for?

Cuneiform as a robust writing tradition endured 3,000 years. The script—not itself a language—was used by scribes of multiple cultures over that time to write a number of languages other than Sumerian, most notably Akkadian, a Semitic language that was the lingua franca of the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires.

Is the cuneiform significant in Mesopotamia?

Decipherment of cuneiform. Many of the cultures employing cuneiform (Hurrian, Hittite, Urartian) disappeared one by one, and their written records fell into oblivion.

Why is cuneiform an important achievement for Mesopotamia and the world?

Sumerian writing developed from pictograms but grew in sophistication and ultimately became a full-fledged writing system that could be used for creating pieces of literature as well as prayers and laws. Though it is not the oldest example of writing, cuneiform script is considered a great milestone in human history.

How important is cuneiform?

Cuneiform is a writing system that was developed in ancient Sumer more than 5,000 years ago. It is important because it provides information about ancient Sumerian history and the history of humanity as a whole.

What were the uses of writing in Mesopotamia?

Over five thousand years ago, people living in Mesopotamia developed a form of writing to record and communicate different types of information. The earliest writing was based on pictograms. Pictograms were used to communicate basic information about crops and taxes.

How does cuneiform work?

Cuneiform is not a language but a proper way of writing distinct from the alphabet. It doesn’t have ‘letters’ – instead it uses between 600 and 1,000 characters impressed on clay to spell words by dividing them up into syllables, like ‘ca-at’ for cat, or ‘mu-zi-um’ for museum.

How was cuneiform used?

Cuneiform writing was used to record a variety of information such as temple activities, business and trade. Cuneiform was also used to write stories, myths, and personal letters. The latest known example of cuneiform is an astronomical text from C.E. 75.

When were cuneiform used?

Circa 1800 BC. The cuneiform writing system was in use for more than three millennia, through several stages of development, from the 31st century BC down to the second century AD.

How is cuneiform used today?

The two main languages written in Cuneiform are Sumerian and Akkadian (from ancient Iraq), although more than a dozen others are recorded. This means we could use it equally well today to spell Chinese, Hungarian or English.