Researchers have uncovered links between the precursor to the world's oldest writing system and the mysterious, intricate designs left behind by engraved cylindrical seals that were rolled across clay ...

Co-authors Kathryn Kelley and Mattia Cartolano from the University of Bologna's Department of Classical Philology and Italian Studies studied seal imagery from before the invention of writing. A ...

The world’s oldest known writing system may have had its origins in the imagery on decorated cylinders used to denote ownership or record transactions. Some of the symbols on these cylinder seals ...

The history of human communication stretches back tens of thousands of years, influencing how we exchange ideas and connect. A recent discovery in a German cave has raised new questions about the ...

While humans have been making their mark on the surfaces of this Earth for at least tens of thousands of years, it's difficult to pinpoint the exact moment our impulse to record what we saw tipped ...

Symbols and markings carved into tools and figurines by Stone Age humans over 40,000 years ago could be an ancient precursor to writing, according to a new analysis. The marks, found on 260 artifacts ...

From 3500–3000 B.C., the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia, in what is now Iraq, carved wedge-shaped signs on clay tablets with reed pens. These are cuneiform, the oldest known writing system. The ...

An Assyrian gypsum cuneiform dedicatory panel, reign of Tukulti-Ninurta I, circa 1243-1207 BC. Of rectangular form, finely engraved on both sides, with 280 lines of text divided into eight columns ...

Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN’s Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being. Researchers have uncovered ...