In order to verify that the quantity of the actual objects matched that of the tokens, one need only to count the objects and the tokens. These tokens represented the number of objects as well.įor instance, if 10 loaves of bread were to be recorded, 10 clay tokens of this item would be made. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Sumerians used clay tokens to represent the type of trade goods. This connection between the clay tokens and the cuneiform script was made in the 1970s by Denise Schmandt-Besserat, a French archaeologist.Īpart from the type of trade goods, the Sumerian merchants were also interested in keeping track of their quantity and this led to the development of the numeral system in cuneiform. Over time, the symbols were stylized, simplifying the writing process and resulting in the birth of cuneiform. (Jastrow / CC BY-SA 2.5 )Īs time went by, the Sumerians realized that they could replace the tokens by writing into the clay themselves, which would have been much easier. Sumerian clay accounting tokens, replaced by Sumerian tablets.
Initially, this script took the form of pictograms, which were used to graphically represent trade goods and livestock. This is an apt description of the script, as it is easily recognized thanks to its wedge-shaped characters.Ĭuneiform is believed to have originated around 8000 BC and was developed for economic purposes. This word is derived from Latin and Middle French roots and means ‘wedge-shaped’. The Sumerian script is known as cuneiform, which, incidentally, is a relatively modern term originating from the early 18 th century. ( पाटलिपुत्र / Public Domain ) What Script Is On the Sumerian Tablets? Sumerian inscription, 6+6 columns, 120 compartments of archaic monumental cuneiform script. Written Akkadian ceased to be used around the beginning of the Christian period and Sumerian went extinct shortly before this happened. Nevertheless, the Sumerian language continued as a written language for a much longer period of time, though its usage was greatly diminished. The Akkadian language gradually replaced Sumerian as a spoken language. In the millennium that followed, the Sumerian civilization flourished and with it their language.ĭuring the 24 th century BC, northern and southern Mesopotamia were unified under the Akkadians, who created the world’s first empire. This language emerged in the Sumerian civilization, which was based in southern Mesopotamia (modern day southern Iraq), and was first attested around 3100 BC.
The Sumerian language is considered to be a language isolate, which means that there is currently no known language related to it. Once the Sumerian language was deciphered, much information could be obtained from these tablets.Ĭuneiform script of the Sumerian tablet. One of the consequences of this is that a large number of Sumerian clay tablets have survived over the millennia and have been unearthed by archaeologists. Documents and text were inscribed by the Sumerians on clay tablets, which has the advantage of greater durability than paper. The Sumerians, however, did not invent paper and used a different medium for their cuneiform script. In the modern world, paper (and various electronic devices) is the medium on which writing is made. This language was written in a script known as cuneiform, which was later adapted by other languages that emerged in Mesopotamia and its neighboring regions, including Akkadian, Elamite, and Hittite. The Sumerian language was developed in ancient Mesopotamia and is the oldest known written language.
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