https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/11/21/ancient-alphabet-discovered-syria/ Skip to main content * Menu * HubOpen Hub + About the Hub + Announcements + For Media + Faculty Experts Guide + Subscribe to the newsletter + Explore by Topic + Arts+Culture + Athletics + Health + Politics+Society + Science+Technology + Student Life + University News + Voices+Opinion * Events * At WorkOpen At Work + About Hub at Work + Gazette Archive + Explore by Topic + News+Info + Benefits+Perks + Health+Well-Being + Tools+Tech + Happenings * Johns Hopkins MagazineOpen Johns Hopkins Magazine + Current Issue + About the Magazine + Past Issues + Contact + Support Johns Hopkins Magazine + Subscribe to the Magazine * jhu.edu * Search Hub Hub Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University Alphabetic text on a beadlike stone form Archaeology Evidence of oldest known alphabetic writing unearthed in ancient Syrian city Archaeological findings suggest alphabetic writing may be some 500 years older than other discoveries By Hannah Robbins / Published Nov 21, 2024 Media Inquiries Name Hannah Robbins Email hlrobbins@jhu.edu Cell phone 667-232-9047 What appears to be evidence of some of the oldest alphabetic writing in human history is etched onto finger-length, clay cylinders excavated from a tomb in Syria by a team of Johns Hopkins University researchers. The writing, which is dated to around 2400 BCE, precedes other known alphabetic scripts by roughly 500 years, upending what archaeologists know about where alphabets came from, how they are shared across societies, and what that could mean for early urban civilizations, according to the researchers. "Alphabets revolutionized writing by making it accessible to people beyond royalty and the socially elite. Alphabetic writing changed the way people lived, how they thought, how they communicated," said Glenn Schwartz, a professor of archaeology at Johns Hopkins University who discovered the clay cylinders. "And this new discovery shows that people were experimenting with new communication technologies much earlier and in a different location than we had imagined before now." Alphabetic text on a beadlike stone form Schwartz will share details of his discovery on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the American Society of Overseas Research's Annual Meeting. A Near Eastern archaeologist, Schwartz studies how early urban areas developed throughout Syria and how smaller cities emerged in the region. With colleagues from the University of Amsterdam, he co-directed a 16-year-long archaeological dig at Tell Umm-el Marra, one of the first medium-size urban centers that popped up in western Syria. At Umm-el Marra, the archaeologists uncovered tombs dating back to the Early Bronze Age. One of the best-preserved tombs contained six skeletons, gold and silver jewelry, cookware, a spearhead, and intact pottery vessels. Next to the pottery, the researchers found four lightly baked clay cylinders with what seems to be alphabetic writing on them. "The cylinders were perforated, so I'm imagining a string tethering them to another object to act as a label. Maybe they detail the contents of a vessel, or maybe where the vessel came from, or who it belonged to," Schwartz said. "Without a means to translate the writing, we can only speculate." Using carbon-14 dating techniques, researchers confirmed the ages of the tombs, the artifacts, and the writing. "Previously, scholars thought the alphabet was invented in or around Egypt sometime after 1900 BCE," Schwartz said. "But our artifacts are older and from a different area on the map, suggesting the alphabet may have an entirely different origin story than we thought." Posted in Science+Technology Tagged archaeology, syria, writing Share on X Share on Facebook Pin it on Pinterest Email More social media options Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on X Share on Facebook Pin it on Pinterest Email More social media options Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Related Content Alphabetic text inscribed on a beadlike form Archaeology Dead letters Published July 13, 2021 Alphabetic writing may have begun 500 years earlier than believed You might also like Trending News Network * The Hub * At Work * Johns Hopkins Magazine * Search Explore by Topic * Health * Science+Technology * Arts+Culture * Politics+Society * University News * Student Life * Athletics * Voices+Opinion Resources * About the Hub * Get Email Updates * Events * Submit an Announcement * Submit an Event * For Media * Faculty Experts Guide * Privacy Statement * Accessibility * Contact Us Discover JHU * jhu.edu * About the University * Schools & Divisions * Academic Programs * Admissions * Plan a Visit * Employment * my.JohnsHopkins.edu Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University * (c) 2024 Johns Hopkins University. 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