The origins of writing in Mesopotamia lie in the images imprinted by ancient cylinder seals on clay tablets and other artifacts. A research group from the University of Bologna has identified a series ...

For centuries, scholars have puzzled over the origins of the world’s first writing system. Now, a study by Italian researchers reveals that some of these earliest proto-cuneiform signs may have ...

Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN’s Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being. Researchers have uncovered ...

(CNN) — Researchers have uncovered links between the precursor to the world’s oldest writing system and the mysterious, intricate designs left behind by engraved cylindrical seals that were rolled ...

New discoveries challenge old ideas about the earliest alphabets. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. With so many ancient texts ...

Overture to The first writing / Stephen D. Houston -- The possibilty and actuality of writing / John S. Robertson -- Writing systems: a case study in cultural evolution / Bruce G. Trigger -- ...

The cuneiform sign for "head" evolved over more than 2,000 years from the pictorial sign on the left to the much abstracted sign on the right. Source: Public Domain/Wikipedia Most of the earliest ...