Cuneiform is the ancient writing system that used wedge-shaped marks in Mesopotamia.
The name comes from the Latin word cuneus, meaning “wedge,” referring to the impressions made with a reed stylus in wet clay. The earliest known cuneiform developed in southern Mesopotamia during the late 4th millennium BCE, probably from earlier accounting and record-keeping systems.
Early texts were written in Sumerian, but cuneiform was later adapted for languages including Akkadian, Elamite, Hittite, and Old Persian. Its signs could represent words, syllables, or grammatical elements, so the system changed substantially across time and languages.
Cuneiform tablets record much more than royal inscriptions. They include legal contracts, school exercises, letters, administrative accounts, myths, medical recipes, and astronomical observations. The decipherment of cuneiform developed during the 19th century, with the Behistun Inscription playing a major role.