World’s oldest alphabet found on clay cylinders in Syria

Archaeologists have uncovered the oldest known alphabetic writing on clay cylinders in an ancient Syrian tomb, dating back to 2400 BCE, according to Johns Hopkins University.

This discovery, 500 years older than previously known alphabets, reshapes the understanding of the origins and evolution of written language.

Found in a Bronze Age burial site at Tell Umm el-Marra in western Syria, the well-preserved tomb contained six skeletons, gold and silver jewelry, pottery, and the clay cylinders.

Researchers believe the inscriptions may have been used for labeling or identification.
This groundbreaking find challenges previous theories that the alphabet originated in Egypt after 1900 BCE, suggesting a much earlier and different point of origin.