Ancient Seals from over 5500 years ago Provide Fresh Insights into the Genesis of Literacy
For many centuries, scholars have been perplexed about the origins of the world's first writing system. Recently, a study from Italian researchers proposes that some of these earliest proto-cuneiform symbols might have sprung directly from designs on ancient Mesopotamian cylinder seals.
This study, published in Antiquity, detected symbols carved on ancient Mesopotamian seals—utilized for regulating merchandise and commerce—that appear to have directly evolved into proto-cuneiform symbols, an early script developed in Mesopotamia over five thousand years ago. These findings illuminate the origin of writing and might also help decode additional proto-cuneiform symbols, among which half are still elusive to researchers.
Experts generally accept that cuneiform, invented by the Sumerians in present-day southern Iraq around 4000 BCE, is the oldest writing system ever discovered—and apparently, in the entire universe. Various Mesopotamian civilizations, like the Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Hittites, employed cuneiform until at least 100 BCE. The script evolved from proto-cuneiform, a preliminary script containing simple symbolic images that later incorporated syllabic elements. Evidence of proto-cuneiform can be traced back to the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk and dates between 3350 and 3000 BCE.
Researchers have long suspected that proto-cuneiform originated from ancient bookkeeping methods. Now, the Italian research team suggests that certain proto-cuneiform symbols might have adapted directly from designs found on cylinder seals crafted during the fifth and fourth millennia BCE—a cylindrical stamp. When pressed and rolled across soft clay, this seal leaves behind a rectangular design.
Besides serving as primitive accounting tools, both cylinder seals and proto-cuneiform tablets were utilized for record-keeping. Cylinder seals were invented in Mesopotamia, and administrators utilized them for tracking commodities, primarily agriculture and textiles, starting around 4000 BCE. Though evidence of proto-cuneiform's usage in accounting is limited to southern Iraq, experts concur that it was employed in record-keeping at that time.
Silvia Ferrara, a philologist from the University of Bologna participating in the study, stated: “The close connection between ancient sealing and the invention of writing in Southwest Asia has long been acknowledged. However, the relationship between individual seal imagery and sign shapes has barely been examined.” Ferrara questioned, “Did seal imagery significantly contribute to the development of signs in the region of the first writing invention?”
To uncover this, the researchers looked for specific similarities between cylinder seal motifs and proto-cuneiform symbols, aiming to identify links beyond ascetic design. They analyzed cylinder seal motifs that predated the emergence of writing and continued to develop in parallel with proto-cuneiform.
In conclusion, the researchers identified motifs connected to jar transportation and textile items in cylinder seals, which they propose directly preceded specific proto-cuneiform signs. This finding marks the initial time a "conceptual jump" between pre-literate symbols and writing was demonstrated. Researchers thus explained, “The introduction of writing signifies a significant leap in human cognitive technologies. The emergence of writing signifies the transition from prehistory to history, and this research elucidates how some late prehistoric images were incorporated into one of the earliest invented writing systems.”
In summary, this discovery could illuminate the potential origin of the first written script—a milestone achieved in ancient civilizations—which enabled other progress, such as long-distance communication, record-keeping, and literature.
Correction: An initial version of this article erroneously mentioned that writing first surfaced in Macedonia. The actual location is Mesopotamia.
This discovery in Antiquity journal suggests that the proto-cuneiform symbols, used in early writing, might have been inspired by designs on ancient Mesopotamian cylinder seals, tools used for regulating trade. futuristically, this finding could lead to decoding more elusive proto-cuneiform symbols.
The Italian research team's theory aligns with the widely accepted belief that cuneiform, the oldest known writing system, evolved from proto-cuneiform, which contained simple images that later incorporated syllabic elements. science and technology played a significant role in this evolution, as both cylinder seals and proto-cuneiform tablets served as accounting tools and record-keepers.
