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Cuneiform script, developed by the Sumerians, was the first writing system using pictograms that evolved to represent ideas, names, and sounds. This wedge-shaped script was inscribed on clay tablets with a reed stylus and included various documents such as business records and religious texts. The deciphering of cuneiform was notably achieved by Henry Rawlinson through his work on the Behistun Inscription.

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document-46

Cuneiform script, developed by the Sumerians, was the first writing system using pictograms that evolved to represent ideas, names, and sounds. This wedge-shaped script was inscribed on clay tablets with a reed stylus and included various documents such as business records and religious texts. The deciphering of cuneiform was notably achieved by Henry Rawlinson through his work on the Behistun Inscription.

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harshagnihoti11
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34 THE STORY OF CRHLIZATION

Cuneiform Script pictures which denoted objects. Once the


standard sign or picture was recognized as
The first writing of the Mesopotamians representing a definite object,
was developed in Sumer and was in the communication became easy. However, a
form of pictograms—signs, symbols and purely pictographic script is not of much
help when ideas rather than objects are to
be communicated. The Sumerians solved
this difficulty by using certain pictures or
signs to represent certain ideas—for
example, the weight or volume of a thing.
These symbols stood for ideas, names and
words. They further developed their
‘^ sy stem of writing by making the script
phonetic, that is, making the symbols
represent syllables and sounds of a word.
These symbols could then be combined in
innumerable ways to lepresent objects,
ideas and sounds.
Tiie Sumerians were the first to evolve
a proper system of writing called
cuneiform. The script Is wedge-shaped, as
shown in the illustration. They wrote with
a sharp stylus made of reed on the smooth
surface of clay tablets. The tablets were
then baked until they became hard. Ea^h
tablet was like the page of a book. A large
number of these tablet shave been found.
Most of them are business document^—
letters, deeds of sale, contracts. Royal
inscriptions and religious texts form
another type of documents, but they are
fewer.
It Is interesting to know how the
cuneiform script was deciphered. Henry
Rawllnson, a British officer in Iran, was
► determ ined to read cuneiform. He
▼ ?
?77 <i discovered by chance an Inscription,
known as the Behlstun Inscription, on a
high rock. The inscription was at a height
of about 100 metres and was very difficult
to reach. But this did not stop Rawllnson.
2.9 C uneiform S c rip t a. W riting w ith a stylus EX^ery morning he used to go up on the
b. E ^ ly S um erian script c. T ablet show ing cuneiform rock, spend the whole day copying the
sc rip t inscription, and come down in the

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