Which writing system was described as using a wedge-shaped stylus on clay tablets?

Which writing system was described as using a wedge-shaped stylus on clay tablets?

• A. Hieroglyphics
• B. Alphabet
• C. Pictographs
• D. Cuneiform

Answer: (D)

The main concept here is recognizing a writing system defined by wedge-shaped marks pressed into clay with a reed stylus. This distinctive method identifies cuneiform. In ancient Mesopotamia, starting around 3400–3000 BCE, scribes began with pictographs on soft clay and evolved to a script where signs were formed by pressing a wedge-shaped tip into the tablet. The name itself comes from the Latin cuneus, meaning wedge. This system was used across multiple cultures in the region for records, literature, and administration. In contrast, hieroglyphics from Egypt relied on more varied pictorial symbols carved in stone or written on papyrus, pictographs are simple pictures, and an alphabet means a set of letters used to represent sounds—none of these feature the distinctive wedge impressions on clay in the same way.

The main concept here is recognizing a writing system defined by wedge-shaped marks pressed into clay with a reed stylus. This distinctive method identifies cuneiform. In ancient Mesopotamia, starting around 3400–3000 BCE, scribes began with pictographs on soft clay and evolved to a script where signs were formed by pressing a wedge-shaped tip into the tablet. The name itself comes from the Latin cuneus, meaning wedge. This system was used across multiple cultures in the region for records, literature, and administration. In contrast, hieroglyphics from Egypt relied on more varied pictorial symbols carved in stone or written on papyrus, pictographs are simple pictures, and an alphabet means a set of letters used to represent sounds—none of these feature the distinctive wedge impressions on clay in the same way.