American archaeologists from Johns Hopkins University found the oldest example of alphabetic writing in human history during excavations at a tomb in Syria.
The finding was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for International Studies.
Scientists have found clay cylinders covered in symbols and the length of a human finger in a Bronze Age tomb in Umm al-Marra, home to one of the oldest cities in the Middle East, reports Noi.md with reference to .
In addition, six skeletons, gold and silver jewelry, kitchen utensils, a spearhead and whole pottery vessels were found.
Radiocarbon dating has shown that the alphabetic cylinders were created around 2400 BC, about 500 years earlier than the earliest known examples of writing.
“Previously, scholars believed that the alphabet was invented in or around Egypt after 1900 BC. But the artifacts found are older and come from a different area. This suggests that the history of the origin of the alphabet was not what we used to think,” said study author Professor Glenn Schwartz.
