A finger-sized clay cylinder from a tomb in northern Syria appears to be the oldest example of writing using an alphabet rather than hieroglyphs or cuneiform

Archaeologists have made an extraordinary discovery of the world’s oldest known alphabetic writing, which was found etched on small, finger-length clay cylinders during an excavation of a tomb in Syria. The writing, dating back to around 2400 BC, was analyzed by researchers from Johns Hopkins University.

At an archaeological excavation site in western Syria, Schwartz unearthed a “finger-length” clay cylinder with etched phonemes, according to the university. The artifact dates to around 2400 B.C., making the clay more than 4,400 years old.

Archaeologists have found the oldest alphabetic writing of the world in a tomb in northern Syria.According to Independent, researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the US discovered unearthed finger-length clay cylinders with the oldest

Small clay cylinders from an ancient Syrian tomb have letters etched into them. The 2400-year-old tablets are the oldest writing ever found.

Found etched into clay cylinders in Syria, the strange symbols date to around 2400 B.C.E.—500 years before other known alphabetic scripts

For centuries, the world believed the ancient Egyptians pioneered the alphabet. Now, a groundbreaking discovery has pushed the origins of alphabetic writing back by a staggering 500 years. Archaeologists at Johns Hopkins University have unearthed clay cylinders,

One of the earliest writing systems in the world may have been influenced by symbols engraved on ancient “cylinder seals.” These small stone cylinders helped people keep track of goods and transactions.