A new study revives the old argument that ancient seals came before cuneiform, humanity's earliest known example of writing.

Italian researchers suggest that symbols from the oldest writing system in the world may have come directly from cylinder seal motifs.

In the half-dark of a third-floor office, Danielle Levy lifted a clay tablet out of its box. Carefully examining it with ...

Research suggests ancient Mesopotamian trade symbols found on cylinder seals contributed to the development of proto-cuneiform writing.

Co-authors Kathryn Kelley and Mattia Cartolano from the University of Bologna's Department of Classical Philology and Italian ...

New research traces Mesopotamian origins of writing back to trade symbols, shedding light on the evolution of written ...

Researchers investigating how the first writing arose identified the motifs on preliterate "cylinder seals" used in the trade of agricultural products and textiles.