A team of archaeologists from Johns Hopkins University, led by Professor Glenn Schwartz, has discovered small clay cylinders with inscriptions in Syria that appear to be the oldest known examples of alphabetic writing to date. These inscriptions, dating back to approximately 2400 BCE, predate other alphabetic systems by about 500 years. This discovery could reshape what was previously believed about the origins of the alphabet, its spread among ancient societies, and the role it may have played in the development of the earliest urban civilizations.

According to Schwartz, the inscriptions on the cylinders are an early example of how ancient societies experimented with new forms of communication. Unlike other writing systems, the alphabet simplified writing, making it accessible to people beyond royalty or social elites. The alphabet allowed common people to communicate, record information, and express ideas in an accessible manner, thereby transforming how they thought and lived.

This finding will be presented by Schwartz at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) on November 21. At this conference, Schwartz plans to share the details of his research, as well as the potential implications of this remarkable discovery for our understanding of the history of writing.

Syria alphabet cylinders
Another of the cylinders with alphabetical inscriptions found in Syria. Credit: Glenn Schwartz / John Hopkins University

The site where the clay cylinders were found, Tell Umm el-Marra, is located in western Syria. This was one of the earliest medium-sized urban centers in the region and has been excavated for 16 years by archaeologists from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Amsterdam. Schwartz and his team have worked meticulously at this site, unearthing tombs and objects dating back to the Early Bronze Age.

Inside one of the best-preserved tombs, the researchers found six skeletons along with a series of objects, including gold and silver jewelry, kitchen utensils, a spearhead, and ceramic vessels in perfect condition. Right beside these vessels, they found four low-fired clay cylinders. What makes these cylinders particularly intriguing are the inscriptions they bear, which appear to be alphabetic in nature. Schwartz speculates that these perforated cylinders may have been attached to other objects with a cord, possibly serving as labels indicating the contents, origin, or owner of the vessels.

Until now, scholars in the field believed that the alphabet had been invented in Egypt around 1900 BCE, possibly as a simplified derivation of complex hieroglyphic systems. However, the age of these cylinders suggests that the alphabet may have originated in a completely different region and much earlier than previously thought. This raises a fundamental question: Could the alphabet have emerged in Syria or other areas of the Near East, influencing the culture of neighboring peoples?

Although there is currently no way to decipher the symbols on the cylinders, radiocarbon dating techniques have confirmed that the inscriptions on these artifacts are older than any other known alphabetic system.

Schwartz highlights the importance of this discovery, as it reflects an era when societies were beginning to develop communication technologies accessible to more people. Alphabetic writing, unlike pictographic or hieroglyphic systems, represented a significant shift in how information could be shared. With just a few letters, it was possible to construct words and phrases flexibly and quickly, a revolutionary capability for the time.

SOURCES

John Hopkins University

  • Share on:

Discover more from LBV Magazine English Edition

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Follow LBV Magazine on Google News