Cuneiform is one of the oldest forms of writing known. It means “wedge-shaped,” because people wrote it using a reed stylus cut to make a wedge-shaped mark on a clay tablet. Letters enclosed in clay envelopes, as well as works of literature, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh have been found.

What was cuneiform usually written on?

Most cuneiform inscriptions were written on clay tablets. Scribes used different shapes and sizes of tablet for different purposes, but made most of them to fit comfortably in the hand.

How did Mesopotamia develop writing?

Over five thousand years ago, people living in Mesopotamia developed a form of writing to record and communicate different types of information. The earliest writing was based on pictograms. … Over thousands of years, Mesopotamian scribes recorded daily events, trade, astronomy, and literature on clay tablets.