1. Not Alphabet, Not Logographic:
* Not an alphabet: Cuneiform isn't based on individual letters representing sounds.
* Not purely logographic: It's not solely based on individual symbols representing whole words. It's a syllabary, meaning each symbol generally represents a syllable.
2. Wedge-Shaped Marks:
* The name: "Cuneiform" comes from the Latin word for "wedge-shaped."
* The writing: It's made up of wedge-shaped marks, which are created by pressing a stylus (a tool with a pointed or triangular end) into a soft clay tablet. The marks are arranged in rows and columns.
3. Evolution and Complexity:
* Early cuneiform: Had around 2,000 symbols, each representing a syllable or a logogram (word sign).
* Later cuneiform: Simplified and became more phonetic, with fewer symbols.
* The Akkadian Language: Cuneiform was primarily used to write Akkadian, but was also used to write other languages in the ancient Near East like Sumerian, Elamite, and Hittite.
4. A Wide Range of Uses:
* Administration: Record keeping, contracts, tax lists, and accounts.
* Literature: Epic poems, hymns, myths, and proverbs.
* Science and Astronomy: Mathematical calculations, astronomical observations, and medical texts.
5. Lasting Impact:
* Cuneiform remained in use for over 3,000 years, until the 1st century AD.
* Its influence: Cuneiform's system of writing and its influence on the development of other writing systems, including the alphabet, make it a significant part of human history.
6. A Challenge to Decipher:
* Early decipherment: It took scholars centuries to decipher cuneiform, starting in the 18th century.
* The Rosetta Stone: The discovery of the Rosetta Stone, which had the same text in three languages (Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic, and Ancient Greek), provided a crucial breakthrough in understanding cuneiform.
In essence, cuneiform was a sophisticated and versatile writing system that played a vital role in ancient Mesopotamian civilization. It was an incredibly complex system of signs that took many years to master, yet it allowed the transmission of knowledge and culture across vast distances and time periods.