c. 3200 BCEReputable sourceWell documented
The Invention of Writing: Cuneiform
On the timeline · around c. 3200 BCE ·
What happened
In the Sumerian cities of Mesopotamia, scribes began pressing a reed stylus into wet clay to keep accounts of grain, livestock, and trade. These wedge-shaped marks — cuneiform — evolved from simple pictures into a full writing system able to record language itself: laws, letters, literature, and science.
Why it matters
Cuneiform is the earliest known writing system, and its appearance marks the boundary between prehistory and recorded history. For the first time, human thought could be preserved across time and distance, beyond the limits of memory.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Cuneiform · Reputable source
Related timelines
- Ancient Mesopotamia → — The Sumerian birthplace of writing