Cuneiform vs Writing Today

Cuneiform vs Writing Today

Cuneiform is one of the earliest forms of writing and communication that was made by the Sumerians on a clay wedge.  Can you imagine inventing writing by using a clay wedge you found out in nature then being like, wow, I'll just use this reed as a stylus!  Writing today is much different and has been taken over by technology, but writing utensils and paper are still commonly used. Luckily, there is no need to use a clay wedge. Sounds messy. Cuneiform was made when there was no universal alphabet yet created so pictures were mostly used. Unlike today, we use a universal alphabet to communicate but similarly, we also use pictures to communicate. When my friend sends me a video of a dog spitting out 9 full tater tots, I usually respond a crying laughing emoji. Sumerians basically wrote emojis to communicate to one another about where to harvest certain crops and such. Today, we also don’t use a reed as a stylus but instead we use pencils, markers, pens etc. I wished I used crayons more on a daily basis but a pen and pencil is basically what the Sumerians used the reed as. Cuneiform is the oldest form of communication that is also the foundation to writing as we know it today.