The History of Writing

Long ago, people could only share ideas by talking. Then they started drawing pictures on cave walls. Over time, people invented symbols and letters to write words. Writing changed the world because people could save their thoughts forever.

The First Writing Systems

The Sumerians in Mesopotamia created one of the first writing systems around 3400 BCE. They pressed shapes into wet clay tablets. This writing is called cuneiform. The ancient Egyptians also created a writing system called hieroglyphics. They used small pictures to stand for words and sounds.

Alphabets and Paper

The Phoenicians created one of the first alphabets. It used letters instead of pictures. The Greeks and Romans made their own alphabets based on this idea. People also invented new things to write on, like papyrus, parchment, and paper. Paper was first made in China about 2,000 years ago.

Fun Facts

• The oldest known writing is over 5,000 years old and was found in Iraq.
• Ancient Egyptians used over 700 different hieroglyphic symbols.
• The Chinese writing system uses thousands of different characters.

Did You Know?

Before paper, people wrote on clay, animal skins, tree bark, and even turtle shells.