In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers from Johns Hopkins University have unearthed what is believed to be the world’s oldest alphabetic writing, etched onto finger-length clay cylinders found in a tomb in Syria. Using carbon-14 dating techniques, the team determined the artefacts date back to approximately 2400 B.C.E., predating any previously known alphabetic scripts by about 500 years.
The discovery was made alongside Early Bronze Age tombs, which included a well-preserved grave containing six burials. The tomb also held a trove of ancient items, including gold and silver jewelry, pottery vessels, cookware, and a spearhead. Four lightly baked clay cylinders, found near the pottery, were engraved with the ancient alphabetic script.
Although initially unearthed in 2004 and detailed in an academic paper in 2021, the significance of the cylinders gained wider recognition this week when Glenn Schwartz, a professor of archaeology at Johns Hopkins, presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Society of Overseas Research.
“This new discovery shows that people were experimenting with new communication technologies much earlier and in a different location than we had imagined before now,” Schwartz remarked. Prior to this finding, it was widely believed that the alphabet originated around Egypt after 1900 B.C.E. The Syrian artefacts challenge this narrative, hinting at a potential alternative origin for alphabetic writing.
The ancient inscriptions, though revolutionary, remain a mystery as they have yet to be deciphered. Schwartz speculated on their purpose: “The cylinders were perforated, so I’m imagining a string tethering them to another object to act as a label. Maybe they detail the contents of a vessel, or maybe where the vessel came from, or who it belonged to.”
The discovery also sheds light on early communication methods, contrasting the alphabet with systems like Mesopotamian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and early Chinese characters, which were more pictorial and complex. The simplicity of the alphabet, as suggested by these artefacts, may have made written communication accessible to individuals beyond the ruling elite.
While much remains to be learned, the discovery of these ancient writings marks a significant milestone in understanding the evolution of human communication and could reshape the historical timeline of the alphabet’s origins.
Comments