Learning an Ancient System of Writing

Arguably the oldest writing system in the world, the cuneiform script was invented by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) around 3200 BCE. The name derives from the Latin cuneifōrmis—cuneus (wedge) and fōrmis (figure or shape). Inscribed on clay using a sharp reed, writing required meticulous adherence to the rules. Scribes underwent rigorous training beginning at a very early age when they entered the é-dubba, or “tablet house.” Recognizable by their distinctive roundness, tablets used by students were unfired so they could be reused. Typically, the master inscribed the lesson of three words or a short sentence on one side of the tablet, and the student then copied and recopied it onto the other side until it was memorized correctly.