Sumerian writing Table of Contents Introduction References & Edit History Images Related Questions When did science begin? Where was science invented? Where did writing first develop? Why was writing invented? Read Next The World Science Festival’s Pioneers in Science Lay, Lie, Lied, Lain: When Do We Use Which? 5 Quizzes That Will Tell You Whether You Should Have Been a Scientist 7 Everyday English Idioms and Where They Come From The World’s 5 Most Commonly Used Writing Systems Discover 9 Noteworthy Bog Bodies (And What They Tell Us) 9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes What’s the Difference Between Bison and Buffalo? Can You Drink Water from a Cactus? 7 Wonders of America Is Mount Everest Really the Tallest Mountain in the World? What Did Cleopatra Look Like? Contents Geography & Travel Languages Sumerian writing cuneiform Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sumerian-writing Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. External Websites Academia - The Sumerian Writing System and the Question of its Origin.docx Rutgers - School of Arts and Sciences - Dr. K.Y. Chen's Laboratory - The Five Original Writing Systems - Sumerian UC Berkeley Open Book Publishing - The Languages of Berkeley: An Online Exhibition - Sumerian Ask the Chatbot a Question Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Related Topics: cuneiform (Show more) Sumerian writing, type of writing used by the ancient Sumerian civilization of southern Mesopotamia. It is the earliest form of cuneiform writing.
