Sumerian script samples

Building and restoration work in Sumer often uncovered inscriptions from previous centuries, perhaps dating back over a thousand years. This meant that scribes possessed at least a basic understanding of the pictograph origin of their cuneiform script. The text displayed on this tablet is an attempt to match contemporary characters with their original counterparts, but many of the 'ancient' signs are fanciful.

Text © P L Kessler based on notes from the British Museum