Researchers Find Evidence of the Oldest Alphabetic Writing in Human History in Syria

Archaeologists from Johns Hopkins University have unearthed what’s believed to be the earliest instance of alphabetic writing throughout an excavation in Syria. The inscriptions have been discovered on small, clay cylinders inside a tomb at Tell Umm-el Marra, an historical city centre in western Syria. The writing has been dated to roughly 2400 BCE, pushing again the origins of alphabetic methods by 500 years. This discovery raises new questions concerning the evolution of written communication and its affect on early societies.

Discovery Details and Artefacts

The clay cylinders, found in a tomb alongside pottery, jewelry, and weapons, are thought to have served as labels or identifiers. Dr Glenn Schwartz, a professor of archaeology at Johns Hopkins University, who led the 16-year excavation, famous that the perforated cylinders may need been connected to things or vessels to convey info. Without the means to decipher the symbols, the precise objective stays speculative.

The discovery was made in one of many best-preserved tombs on the website, which additionally contained six skeletons and an array of Early Bronze Age artefacts. Carbon-14 courting methods confirmed the age of the tomb and its contents.

Impact on Understanding of Alphabet Origins

Previously, it was extensively believed that the alphabet was first developed round 1900 BCE in Egypt. However, these new findings counsel that alphabetic methods could have originated earlier and in a unique area. According to Dr Schwartz, this proof challenges long-held assumptions about how and the place alphabets emerged, indicating that societies in Syria have been experimenting with revolutionary communication applied sciences sooner than beforehand understood.

Details of the findings might be offered by Dr Schwartz on the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Overseas Research, providing additional insights into the position of alphabetic writing within the improvement of early city civilisations.