Proto-cuneiform, an early sign-based script, marks a pivotal moment in human history as the precursor to the world's first writing system, cuneiform. Emerging between 3350 and 3000 BC in the city of Uruk, located in what is now southern Iraq, this system initially arose from practical needs such as accounting. However, the exact mechanisms of how it developed have long eluded scholars. Recent research has unveiled a fascinating link between proto-cuneiform and an earlier technology: cylinder seals. These engraved stone cylinders, when rolled across clay, left intricate designs. The transformation of these motifs into proto-cuneiform signs not only sheds light on the origins of writing but also reveals a significant cultural leap in ancient Mesopotamia. Leaving an Impression: Revealing the Intricate Story of Sumerian Cylinder Seals Naram-Sin - The World’s First God-Emperor Example of a cylinder seal (left) and its design imprinted onto clay (right) (Franck Raux © 2001 GrandPalaisRmn, Musée du Louvre/ Antiquity Publications Ltd) Read moreSection: ArtifactsAncient WritingsNewsHistory & ArchaeologyRead Later