Cuneiform writing first appeared in Mesopotamia around 3400 BCE. It was developed by the ancient Sumerians of southern Mesopotamia as a system of writing in clay tablets. This script includes wedge-shaped marks made by pressing a stylus into clay. Cuneiform is considered one of the most significant cultural achievements of the ancient world because it was used to transcribe everything from epic literature to mundane administrative tasks.
The understanding of cuneiform was lost for centuries until it was deciphered in the 19th century. The key break came in 1835 when Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson identified signs from the Akkadian language. His Behistun Inscription translation was crucial in understanding how to read this ancient text.
The influence of cuneiform spread across the ancient Near East, adapting to different languages and cultures. It was used from Anatolia to Egypt and eastward to Persia. Its versatility in adapting to different languages made it the lingua franca of its time, cementing its place in history as the communication bridge of empires.