The invention of writing
This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method
For everyone
Writing let knowledge be stored and passed on independently of any person, and "history" begins with it. According to archaeology it was developed independently in Mesopotamia, Egypt, China and Mesoamerica. In Islamic tradition the prophet Idris is reported to have been the first to write with a pen.
For specialists
The proto-cuneiform tablets of the Uruk IV level in southern Mesopotamia are mostly administrative accounts. The view that they developed from clay counting tokens and cylinder seals is associated with Schmandt-Besserat. The labels from tomb U-j at Abydos in Egypt date to a similar period. Chinese oracle bones (Shang, c. 1250 BCE) and Olmec/Zapotec inscriptions in Mesoamerica are regarded as independent inventions. The token hypothesis has been criticised, notably on the grounds that the matches between tokens and tablet signs are selective.
Views on dating
No single date is given because the date is not documented with certainty; the views of different sources are listed.
| Archaeology (Mesopotamia, Uruk) | About 3400–3200 BCE[2] |
|---|---|
| Archaeology (Egypt, Abydos U-j) | About 3250 BCE[2] |
| Islamic tradition (exegesis and stories of the prophets) | The prophet Idris was the first to write with a pen. The Qur'an gives no date.[3] |
Claims
- In Mesopotamia, writing developed out of clay counting tokens used in accounting.[1]
Evidence
Supporting
Some forms of the geometric clay tokens used for millennia in the Near East resemble the numeral and commodity signs on early tablets.[1]
Challenging
Critics noted that the matches between token shapes and script signs were selective and that many signs have no counterpart among the tokens.[2]
Connections
Sources
- Book (1996). How Writing Came About. University of Texas Press, Austin
- Book (2010). Visible Language: Inventions of Writing in the Ancient Middle East and Beyond. Oriental Institute Museum Publications 32, University of Chicago
- Encyclopediaİdrîs. TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisiislamansiklopedisi.org.trarchive
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Cite this page
Athena contributors. (2026). The invention of writing. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/yazi/
@misc{athena_yazi,
title = {The invention of writing},
author = {{Athena contributors}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/yazi/}},
note = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history