Overview

• Researchers from Johns Hopkins University discovered clay cylinders etched with alphabetic writing in a 4,400-year-old tomb at Tell Umm-el Marra, Syria.
• The markings are approximately 500 years older than previously known alphabetic scripts, challenging the belief that the alphabet originated in Egypt around 1900 BCE.
• The tomb contained six skeletons, gold and silver jewelry, cookware, a spearhead, pottery vessels, and the inscribed cylinders, suggesting the burial site belonged to a wealthy family.
• The cylinders, perforated and possibly used as labels, remain untranslated, with speculation they may reference names, origins, or contents of objects.
• This discovery highlights early experimentation with alphabetic systems, which revolutionized communication by making writing accessible beyond elite classes.