Here's a breakdown:
Factors Influencing Size:
* Material:
* Clay tablets: These were often inscribed with relatively large cuneiform characters, especially for significant documents like legal contracts.
* Stone monuments: These often featured larger, more elaborate characters for greater visibility and artistic impact.
* Cylinder seals: These used smaller, more intricate characters due to their limited space.
* Papyrus: While not commonly used for cuneiform, this material allowed for smaller scripts as well.
* Purpose:
* Important documents: Large characters were used to convey a sense of formality and importance.
* Everyday writing: Smaller characters were employed for routine records, letters, and personal writings.
The Appearance of "Smallness":
* The wedge shape: The basic cuneiform wedge is naturally small, creating an overall impression of fine detail.
* Density of characters: Cuneiform text often contained dense lines of characters, making the individual characters appear small in relation to the overall inscription.
* Preservation: Many surviving cuneiform tablets are fragmented or damaged, which can give the impression of small writing.
Conclusion:
Cuneiform wasn't always small. The size of the writing varied significantly based on the material, purpose, and even the individual scribe's preference. The appearance of smallness is often due to the wedge shape, dense text, and limitations of preservation.