Scientists who discovered clay cylinders in Syria say the alphabet may be half a millennium older than previously thought. They appear to be engraved with some of the oldest alphabetic writing in human history.
A team of scientists from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Amsterdam conducted 16 years of archaeological excavations at Tell Umm el-Marra, one of the first medieval urban centers to be found in western Syria.
Researchers have discovered graves there that date back to the Bronze Age. One of the best preserved contained six skeletons, gold and silver jewelry, kitchen utensils, a spearhead, and intact pottery.
Next to the vessels, they said, archaeologists found four lightly burnt clay cylinders about the size of a finger with carved signs on them that appeared to be written in the alphabet. This record, which dates to about 2400 BC, predates other known alphabetic writings by about 500 years.
Scientists have confirmed the age of graves, artifacts and inscriptions using radiocarbon dating methods.
“Much earlier and in a different place than we expected before.”
According to the researchers, this information will change the current knowledge of archaeologists about the origin of alphabets, how they spread among societies and what they may mean for early urban civilizations. – Alphabets revolutionized writing, making it accessible to people outside of royalty and the social elite. Writing the alphabet changed people's way of life, their way of thinking and communication, – emphasizes Professor Glen Schwartz, the author of the study. – This new data shows that people have experimented with new communication technologies much earlier and in different places than we previously thought, – he adds.
One of the cylinders with inscriptions was found at Johns Hopkins University in Syria
As the scientist reminds, until now it was assumed that the alphabet was invented in Egypt or near it, sometime after 1900 BC – However, our traces are older and come from another region, from the history of the origin the alphabet appears. it can be completely different than what we thought so far – he notes.
As an archaeologist specializing in the Middle East, prof. Schwartz examines how early cities formed in Syria and how smaller cities emerged in the region.
What was written on the cylinders?
Scientists have theories about the purpose of the objects found.
– The cylinders have a perforated structure, so I imagine they could be attached to some object with string and act as markers. They may describe the container's contents, its origin, or its owner. Without the possibility of translating this letter, we can only guess, explains prof. Schwartz.
Main image source: Johns Hopkins University
