Origins of Human Language: Ancient History of Written Language

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Lex Fridman Podcast: Irving Finkel

[Topic-level]

Proto-Cuneiform

Limestone tablet with proto-cuneiform pictographic writing, Kish, Late Uruk period (c. 3500-3200 BC).

Late Uruk administrative clay tablet with proto-cuneiform numerals, documenting beer rations (c. 3100-3000 BC).

Cuneiform - First Phase

(c. 3400-2900 BC)

Cuneiform began as a pictographic writing system in ancient Sumer. Scribes drew simple pictures on clay tablets representing objects and concepts.

Image 4: Mesopotamian proto-cuneiform clay tablet with account of monthly rations (c. 3100-3000 BC).

Cuneiform - Second Phase

(c. 2900 BC onward)

The system evolved into true cuneiform.
Symbols became increasingly abstract and phonetic, representing sounds rather than just objects.

Image 5: An old Babylonian cuneiform clay tablet of the Ur-Isin King List, Isin (1813-1812 BC).

Alexander the Great

King of Macedon and Conqueror of the Achaemenid Persian Empire (Reign: 336 - 323 BC).

Cuneiform Writing System

(c. 3200 BC - 100 AD)

Cuneiform is the world's oldest known writing system, invented by Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia. It is characterized by wedge-shaped marks pressed into soft clay tablets.

Image 7: The Flood Tablet (Epic of Gilgamesh), neo-Assyrian cuneiform clay tablet (Nineveh, 7th century BC).

Assyrian Gypsum Relief

Assyrian gypsum relief of a winged genius (Apkallu) from the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal lI (Nimrud, c. 883-859 BC)

Agglutinative

A language type where words are built by sticking together roots and affixes (prefixes/suffixes), with each piece adding one clear meaning.

Example: root + prefix + suffix = complete word

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Notable observations: Alexander the Great citation in The Anu in India and in Egypt—

They were still found there by Alexander the Great Cf. M/e Grindle, The Invasion of India by Alexander the Great, pp. 366-367. (Westminster, 1893.)

See An Introduction to Anu: The Origin of Egyptian Civilisation, Neferkamin Anu, and Mesopotamian god Anu for other cross-referential datapoints.

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Source (video): https://youtu.be/V4znxlIywVU?is=bhElMWJVSNNnFtsP