Ms. Wilson
English 4
Cuneiform Questions
Introduction
1. Where does the term cuneiform come from?
It was a mode of writing using wedge shaped
strokes.
2. On what kinds of materials was cuneiform
written?
It was mainly written on clay but also stone,
metals, wax, etc.
3. Where did this style of writing originate?
Western Asia
Early Methods of Inscription
4. What were the earliest forms of cuneiform
inscriptions?
Pictographs
5. What tool was eventually created which
changed the style of the cuneiform
language?
The stylus – made creating tapered
impressions easier.
6. How many signs are in the fully developed
cuneiform system?
More than 600 signs
7. Did standard cuneiform ever become an
alphabet?
No Cuneiform never fully developed into an
alphabet.
Attempts at Translation
8. Where in modern day Iran was cuneiform
discovered in the ruins? Did anyone realize
what it meant?
Persepolis on a wall at Behistun – they did not
realize what it was at first
9. Who made the first real progress toward
reading and writing cuneiform?
Carsten Niebuhr
10. Which of the cuneiform inscriptions was
the first to be translated?
The Persian inscription was the first to be
translated.
Modern Knowledge of Cuneiform
11. According to Aaron Bartonin what were
the original signs modeled on?
Pictographs – signs modeled after the human
body, animals, elements, etc.
12. What is one of the most important
documents of pre- Christian antiquity?
The Code of Hammurabi
13. What did French excavations of 1929
discover?
A Cuneiform script proven to be an alphabet
of consonants.
Below try to write your first name in cuneiform
using the last page of this packet.