The Discovery of Cuneiform
It was a beautiful day in the early 20th century when a young British archaeologist, Leonard Woolley, made a remarkable discovery while excavating at Ur of the Chaldees (present-day Iraq). Hidden away in a remote and little-known Assyrian tomb, Woolley came across the remains of a very old tablet. The tablet was covered in mysterious symbols that had never been seen before by civilized man. Woolley at first thought that the symbols might be written in cuneiform, an ancient, yet still-used system of writing. In fact, Woolley had deciphered the entire text of the tablet, which turned out to be a list of offerings to the dead in the form of wine, food, and servants.
Assyria was at the time a region in present-day western Asia that had been under the rule of the Assyrians for centuries. It was well known for its many impressive ancient ruins and its close connection to the Sumerian civilization, the founders of modern-day cuneiform. So the discovery of an Assyrian cuneiform tablet was no small feat. In fact, it was an incredible find. The discovery of the Ur tablet led to an avalanche of further cuneiform finds. Excavation teams worked tirelessly to unearth more ancient tablets and to uncover the fascinating history that they contained.
Early Days of Cuneiform
Although Woolley’s find was an incredible feat, it wasn’t exactly the first time that cuneiform had been discovered. In 1881, an Assyrian scribe named Hormuzd Rassam had come across another cuneiform inscription during his excavations at Nimrud, another magnificent site in present-day northern Iraq. Much like Woolley, Rassam had also immediately realized the significance of his find. The inscription at Nimrud was accompanied by a picture of a winged cobra, which is why Rassam named his discovery Necromancer’s Nectar (an allusion to the fact that the symbol resembles a cobra’s head with a crown of thorns).
Even before Hormuzd Rassam’s discovery, cuneiform had been known to ancient peoples living in what is now Iraq. Inscriptions found on the floors of the royal palaces at Nineveh and Bit Gaya (in present-day northern Iraq) show that the ancient Assyrians used the symbols (which were similar in appearance to the later cuneiform) for writing on anything from building surfaces to pottery to ivory plates. The symbols would eventually be inscribed in all capital letters to make them easier to read.
The Rise of Cuneiform
It takes a lot of wine and food to describe how excited archaeologists, archivists, and philologists become when they discover a new piece of cuneiform. After the initial excitement of discovering an unknown and undeciphered script wears off, they often work tirelessly to fully decipher its meaning. Thankfully, the strain of deciphering ancient texts is very much appreciated by wine producers, because once the initial excitement of discovery has worn off, the demand for the product goes through the roof!
As the 20th century progressed, more and more of these texts were discovered, helping to revive the cuneiform writing system. By the end of the century, as a result of all these new discoveries, it was possible to create a complete picture of ancient Assyrian life. This in turn helped to paint a greater picture of the entirety of human history.
Why Study the Cuneiform Script?
The study of cuneiform (as well as other ancient scripts such as Egyptian hieroglyphics and Maya glyphs) is extremely fascinating and rewarding for both students and professionals. One of the main reasons for studying cuneiform is that it provides students with excellent training in reading, writing, and speaking the language of scholars, historians, and politicians. (If you’re looking to get a better idea of the significance of ancient scripts, why not try a course on egyptology or mesoamerican archaeology?)
Another great thing about studying cuneiform is that it opens up the door to more modern research. Because cuneiform was originally developed as an administrative tool by the Assyrians, many of its symbols and abbreviations have been preserved throughout the centuries. This makes modernizing and decoding the script relatively easy. Additionally, because of the similarities between cuneiform and the Latin alphabet, knowledge of the former can often be applied to the latter (which makes translating historical documents into readable form much easier).
A great example of this is the translation of the Book of Mormon from an original text known as the Gold Book. Though the writing system used to write the Book of Mormon is significantly different from cuneiform, the process of decoding and studying it introduced the reader to a new world of early American history, folklore, and legend. Without a doubt, the study of cuneiform provided Leonard Woolley with a springboard to further his career and to contribute significantly to our understanding of human history and its effect on society.