Writing and Literature

Sumerians are considered to be the developers of the earliest form of writing 3,500 years ago. This writing is made up of pictograms pressed with a reed stylus in a wedge-shaped form. This writing is called cuneiform (meaning wedge-shaped). This writing became a revelation. It allowed information to be transferred without fear of memory slips; it kept records; invented the prestigious job of scribe; provided “copy books” for education of these nobles; and gave people a new way to express their ideas.

Literature at the time was commonly found on seals. The most well-known poem written at that time was the Epic of Gilgamesh. It tells the tale of a great king Gilgamesh who is part god. He meets up with Enkidu, also part god, and they set off on an adventure. Gilgamesh suffers from the fear of sickness and when Enkidu dies, the pangs of death. From this, Gilgamesh realizes that immortality is solely for the gods, which is the moral of this story.

Tablet with Cuneiform Writing