1. Ancient Writing Systems

2. What makes a Civilization a Civilization?
You need 5 things…
Agriculture - Surplus
Advanced cities
Specialized workers
Complex institutions
Record keeping
Advanced technology

3. Sumerians The earliest known civilization was that of the Sumerians
They were located in modern day Iraq on the Tigris and Euphrates River
As their government, religion, and economy became more complex, they realized a need for record keeping

5. Writing System #1 - Cuneiform
The earliest forms of writing were actually pictures – these were called pictographs
Sumerians developed a more complex system called cuneiform
Not everyone could write the new language, so a certain group of people called scribes kept records
The scribes tool was called a stylus, which was a sharp tool with a wedge point
They pressed their writing into moist clay and left it in the sun to bake and harden

7. Why did they need writing?
Government officials had to keep tax records
They had to document their laws
Priests needed a way to keep track of their religious calendars and important rituals
Merchants had to record transactions
Later, people would use writing to record events – this evolved into history

8. Writing System #2 - Hieroglyphics
Similar to the Sumerians, the Egyptians also first used pictures to express words
Later they developed a more complex system called hieroglyphics
At first, hieroglyphics were written on clay, but the Egyptians soon developed a better method called papyrus
Egyptians also developed a system of written numbers for counting, adding, and subtracting
They also developed early forms of geometry

12. Writing System #3 – The Phoenician Alphabet
About 100BC, the most powerful traders along the Mediterranean Sea were the Phoenicians
They never united as a country, but instead had founded a number of different city-states along the water
They were remarkable shipbuilders and seafarers

14. Their Alphabet
Because they were merchants and traders, the Phoenicians needed an accurate and easy way to record their transactions
They developed a writing system that used symbols to represent sounds
This system is called “phonetic”
In fact, the word “alphabet” comes from the first 2 letters in their alphabet

15. As they traveled around the Mediterranean region, they spread their alphabet
The Greeks would later adopt it and add to it
That is where we got our alphabet