Sumerians soft clay tablet

The Sumerian writing was wedge-shaped because of the writing interment used to create it. Paper had not yet been invented so Sumerians used reeds and other hard objects as styluses. They pressed each symbol into the soft clay. Symbols were drawn on a soft clay tablet using a sharpened reed. The tablet was then baked in a kiln to harden it.

Information about gods, goddesses kings and other heroes can be found on the Sumerian King list, Sumerian clay tablets and cylinder seals.

Originally list of items were arranged in vertical columns starting from the top right hand side. Around the 3000 BC, however, scribes found that they could write better by turning the tablets and writing from left to right, in horizontal rows.

At the same times, the original pointed stylus was abandoned in favor of one with a wedge shaped tip.

The very first novel ever written was written in Mesopotamia, It is called The Epic of Gilgamesh written on a clay tablet. The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest written stories in existence.

The first written historical record was found on a Sumerian clay tablet from ca. 2100 BC. This is actually the world's oldest medical manuscript. The “three healing gestures” described in this tablet are: washing the wound, applying dressings/plasters and bandaging the wound.
Sumerians soft clay tablet