Researchers have identified what might be the earliest known form of alphabetic writing in human history. This writing was found on small clay cylinders during an excavation in an ancient Syrian city.
Evidence suggesting the existence of the oldest alphabetic writing ever discovered can be seen on small clay cylinders, about the size of fingers, that were excavated from a tomb in Syria by researchers from Johns Hopkins University.
This writing, which dates back to around 2400 BCE, is approximately 500 years older than other recognized alphabetic scripts, challenging existing beliefs about the origins of alphabets, their spread among different cultures, and the implications for early urban societies.
“Alphabets revolutionized writing by making it accessible to a wider audience beyond just the elite and royalty. Alphabetic writing transformed daily life, thought processes, and communication methods,” stated Glenn Schwartz, a Johns Hopkins University archaeology professor involved in the discovery of the clay cylinders. “This finding indicates that experimentation with new ways of communication started much earlier and in a different place than previously believed.”
Schwartz is set to present more insights on his discovery on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Overseas Research.
As an archaeologist focused on the Near East, Schwartz researches the evolution of early urban centers in Syria and how smaller cities arose in the area. Alongside colleagues from the University of Amsterdam, he led a 16-year excavation project at Tell Umm-el Marra, recognized as one of the first medium-sized urban settlements in western Syria.
During the excavation at Umm-el Marra, archaeologists uncovered tombs that date back to the Early Bronze Age. One exceptionally well-preserved tomb contained six skeletons, jewelry made of gold and silver, cooking utensils, a spearhead, and intact pottery. Among the pottery, they discovered four lightly baked clay cylinders inscribed with what seems to be alphabetic text.
“The cylinders had holes in them, which makes me think they were strung together to label another object. They might describe what was in a pot, where it came from, or who it belonged to,” Schwartz mused. “Without a way to interpret the writing, we can only guess.”
Researchers employed carbon-14 dating to verify the age of the tombs, artifacts, and writing.
“Until now, scholars believed that the alphabet developed in or around Egypt after 1900 BCE,” Schwartz pointed out. “However, our findings are older and originate from a different geographical area, indicating the alphabet may have a completely different origin than we previously assumed.”
