Cuneiform in Ancient Sumer

Introduction:

Ancient Sumer was the first true civilization. The ancient Sumerians lived in the Middle East, between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers. This was in ancient Mesopotamia. The Sumerians invented many great things such as the wheel, math, and pottery. They also had the first kings. The most interesting thing about Ancient Sumer is that they invented writing. Ancient Sumerians created writing, figured out what to write with, and wrote about many different things.

Ancient Sumerians Invented Writing:

The ancient Sumerians created writing about 7,000 years ago. Their earliest writing was pictures that meant words. These pictograms were used for recording taxes and trading. The pictograms were difficult to draw and took a long time, so the Sumerians made symbols. They were wedge shaped symbols. This first language was named cuneiform. Only the sons were taught cuneiform. They learned reading, writing, and arithmetic at a school called an edubba.

Ancient Sumerian Writing Materials:

Ancient Sumerians needed tools to write with. The one tool that they used is called a stylus. A stylus is a wedge-shaped tool that is made from a reed. These reeds grow on rivers such as the Tigris and Euphrates. The Sumerians used clay tablets to write on. When they pushed a stylus into a clay tablet, they made a wedge-shaped mark. Cuneiform means wedge-shaped. The ancient Sumerians also used cylinder seals. Cylinder seals were a carved piece of stone that is a signature. Sumerians rolled the cylinder seal across the wet clay tablet and it left an imprint. Then they would dry it in the sun or bake it in a kiln. This would make the writing last.

Ancient Sumerian Writing Topics:

The ancient Sumerians kept excellent records and lists of things. They listed the stuff in their houses, what they did, what they bought, and the taxes they paid. They even kept lists of their kings. They also wrote poems and stories. The first story of a super hero was written by the Sumerians. This story was called The Epic of Gilgamesh. It's probably the first story ever written. This may not have been a totally made up story, because Gilgamesh was the king of Uruk. However even a king couldn't cross the Sea of Death, meet the Sun, or fly on a griffin. But I think it is a good story.

Conclusion:

Writing was a big piece of Sumerian culture. It's amazing that the Sumerians created writing, figured out writing materials, and wrote about many topics. The written record of Sumer was one of the greatest archeologist finds ever. It's cool that they wrote on clay tablets so we could find them.

Sources:

KidSumer.com

WikipediaJr.com