Discovering fascinating links between the ancestor of the world’s oldest writing system and the mysterious designs carved on ancient cylinder seals takes us deep into human history. Researchers have recently brought the two together, revealing unexpected similarities between proto-cuneiform and the intricate patterns left by seals carved around 6,000 years ago.
Cuneiform is often considered the first writing system, with its wedge-shaped characters used to inscribe ancient languages such as Sumerian on clay tablets from 3400 BCE onwards. The writing system is thought to have originated in Mesopotamia, the region where the earliest known civilization developed, now modern-day Iraq.
Before the advent of cuneiform, proto-cuneiform emerged around 3350–3000 BCE. in the city of Uruk, located in modern-day southern Iraq. However, the origins of this early form of writing remain unclear, and many of its symbols remain undeciphered.
A recent study published in the journal Antiquity has uncovered striking similarities between the symbols of proto-cuneiform and the engravings on cylinder seals invented in Uruk around 4400 BCE. These similarities go far beyond mere resemblances, as they appear to convey similar meanings related to ancient commercial transactions.
The patterns engraved on the seals appeared to be directly linked to the evolution of proto-cuneiform in southern Iraq, a connection revealed by the painstaking research conducted by the experts for this study. These findings could change our understanding of the invention of writing, and what it reveals about the advances of ancient civilizations that developed technologies such as accounting and writing thousands of years ago.
The ancient city of Uruk, later Warka, was one of the first cities to emerge in Mesopotamia, serving as a center of cultural influence stretching from southwestern Iran to southeastern Turkey. Cylinder seals invented at Uruk were used for administrative purposes. Engravers inscribed designs on the cylinders, which were then rolled onto fresh clay to transfer the designs. These seals were widely used in a pre-literate accounting system that tracked the production, storage, and circulation of crops and textiles. The designs on the seals acted as an early form of marking to identify goods.
In addition to seals, accounting systems developed in the fourth millennium BCE also materially documented the trade of goods using digital tokens, clay tablets, and clay balls called bullae. Proto-cuneiform has long been thought to have evolved from these early methods of accounting, but there has been no definitive link to how the transition occurred. This study reveals that some seal images appear to transition directly into proto-cuneiform signs, suggesting that seals played a crucial role in the evolution of the first writing system.
The close connection between ancient seals and the invention of writing in southwest Asia has been recognized, but detailed analysis of seal images in relation to proto-cuneiform signs remains largely unexplored. The results of this research provide new insights into how symbols engraved on ancient seals contributed to the emergence of writing and the recording of ancient commercial transactions.
In conclusion, this in-depth study of the connections between ancient cylinder seals and proto-cuneiform provides new insights into the origins of writing and the evolution of early civilizations. These discoveries strengthen our understanding of technological advances made millennia ago and highlight the importance of ancient artifacts in transmitting knowledge and stories through the ages.