Originating before 3000 DC, cuneiform script is, as far as we know, the oldest form of writing in the world. The choice of clay as writing medium in ancient Mesopotamia meant that records of all kinds could survive down to modern times, preserving fascinating documents from ancient civilization, written by a variety of people and societies. From reading these tablets we can understand not only the history and economics of the time but also the beliefs, ideas and superstitions of people from the past.
This new book will bring the world in which the cuneiform was written to life, revealing how ancient inscriptions can lead to a new way of thinking about the past. It will explain how this pre-alphabetic writing really worked and how it was used to record so many different languages so long ago.
Richly illustrated with a wealth of fresh examples ranging from scribbled school exercises to beautifully calligraphic literature for the royal library, we meet people who aren't so very different from ourselves. For the first time cuneiform tablets and their messages are not remote and inaccessible, but wonderfully human documents that resonate today.
This short introduction is the perfect guide to this ancient script and understanding the ancient past.
