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Cuneiform

Cuneiform is one of the earliest known systems of writing, distinguished by its wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets, made by means of a blunt reed stylus. The name "cuneiform" itself comes from the Latin word "cuneus," meaning "wedge."

The script originated in Sumer in the late 4th millennium BCE, evolving from earlier pictographic and symbolic systems. Over time, it became more abstract and developed into a complex writing system representing syllables and words.

Cuneiform was used extensively for recording a variety of information, including administrative records, legal codes (such as the Code of Hammurabi), literature (e.g., the Epic of Gilgamesh), religious texts, and letters.

The script was adopted and adapted by other civilizations of the ancient Near East, including the Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Hittites, and Elamites, each modifying the system to suit their respective languages.

Cuneiform writing gradually declined in use between the 6th and 1st centuries BCE, being largely replaced by alphabetic scripts, particularly Aramaic. The last known cuneiform inscription dates to the 1st century CE.

The decipherment of cuneiform began in the 19th century, primarily through the work of scholars such as Georg Friedrich Grotefend, Henry Rawlinson, and Edward Hincks. The decipherment of the Behistun Inscription, a multilingual text carved into a cliff face in Persia, proved crucial to unlocking the secrets of the script.

The study of cuneiform has provided invaluable insights into the history, culture, and languages of ancient Mesopotamia and surrounding regions. Understanding cuneiform allows historians and archaeologists to directly access primary source material, providing a rich understanding of these civilizations.