The Oldest Writing Systems in the World, Egyptian Comes Second

January 28, 2025 | 01:59 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Before the current written scripts, texts, and linguistic manuscripts, there were various oldest writing systems emerging over 5,000 years ago. Similar to other ancient artifacts, historians are keeping the records of these frameworks intact for further study. 

In this article, we’ll discuss the world’s oldest writing system as compiled by oldest.org, showcasing each arrival, development, and other key details. 

Oldest Writing Systems in the World 

Contrary to popular belief, Egyptian hieroglyphs isn’t the oldest writing system in the world. See the full list below: 

1. Cuneiform - 3200 BCE 

Widely implemented in the ancient Middle East, cuneiform, which means “wedge-shaped,” has been a writing model since the early 18th century onward. Britannica noted this framework was the most widespread and historically significant writing system. 

Its first emergence may be traced back to the end of the 4th millennium BCE when the Sumerians, the world’s first modern civilization, occupied southern Mesopotamia and Chaldea. After its development, cuneiform was used for more than 3,000 years, which has inspired multiple early writing systems within the Mesopotamian bounds. 

2. Egyptian Hieroglyphs - 3200 BCE

One of the most well-known and oldest writing systems, Egyptian hieroglyphs were largely referred to as “holy writing” in the Greek language due to their reverence. Britannica suggested that the hieroglyphic system consisted of numerous symbols representing the object they depicted and particular groups of sounds. 

It also had four basic principles as follows: 

• A hieroglyph could be used in an almost purely pictorial way.

• A hieroglyph might imply another word suggested by the picture.

• A hieroglyph served as a representative of words that shared consonants in the same order.

• A hieroglyph stood for individual or combinations of consonants. 

3. Akkadian Cuneiform - 2500 BCE 

Despite having two different languages, the Akkadians adopted the cuneiform writing system with their unique interpretations. For centuries, the ancient civilization consistently utilized the same writing system. Cited from oldest.org, it’s revealed that there are around 700 to 800 symbols in Akkadian Cuneiform, with only 200 to 400 being used. 

4. Elamite Cuneiform - 2200 BCE 

Being heavily influenced by Akkadian Cuneiform, the Elamite Cuneiform actually had two variations, with one derived from Akkadian and the simplified version used during the 1st millennium BCE. As one of the oldest writing systems in the world, this framework had popular Elamite tablets originating from the Achaemenid Persian kings that were written in three languages: Old Persian, Babylonian, and Elamite. Notably, this writing system used about 130 to 206 different signs. 

5. Cretan Hieroglyphs - 2100 BCE 

The Minoans’ earliest writing system, Cretan Hieroglyphs, doesn’t have that many stories to tell, though extensive studies have been conducted. The language used and its writing framework by the first literate culture of Europe haven’t been able to be deciphered due to short texts found. Some of them include the names of the people engraved on clay seals. 

6. Linear A - 1800 BCE

Another oldest writing system adopted by the Minoans was Linear A, which also remains undeciphered. Oldestorg proposed it could have been the same framework as Cretan hieroglyphs despite implying different scripts. In its simplified nature, the writing system had about 90 unique symbols. 

7. Hittite Cuneiform - 1700 BCE 

Much like its predecessors, the Hittite Cuneiform adopted Akkadian Cuneiform, borrowing around 375 signs from its roots. It was mainly used by the Hittites inhabiting ancient Anatolia, also known as modern-day Türkiye. As the Hittite Empire concluded its reign, the writing system went extinct with it. 

8. Linear B - 1500 BCE 

The oldest surviving writing systems among Greek civilization, Linear B was mainly deployed by the Mycenaean Greeks from 1500 to 1200 BCE. It’s not until the early 1950s that the writing system was finally able to be deciphered. According to Michael Ventris and John Chadwick, Linear B represented an archaic Greek language, with an adoption of Greek dialects.

The world's oldest writing systems reveal the deep history and evolution of human communication, reflecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of their times and setting the foundation for the written languages we use today. For a deeper coverage of the topic, check also the oldest languages in the world here.

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