A discovery made in Syria is challenging what we knew about the emergence of the alphabet
Small clay cylinders, found in an ancient tomb and dated to around 2400 BC, contain inscriptions that appear to be a primitive form of alphabetic writing-something researchers believe is about 500 years older than the evidence discovered so far.
The story began in 2004, during excavations at the archaeological site of Umm el-Marra in northern Syria, an ancient city that occupied a strategic position, crossing important trade routes between Mesopotamia and other regions.
Archaeologists from Johns Hopkins and Amsterdam universities, led by Glenn Schwartz and Hans Curvers since 1994, have been exploring an elite necropolis from the Early Bronze Age.
This funerary complex, with well-preserved tombs of high-status individuals, is rare in the region, as such tombs were usually looted over the centuries.
Inside one of the most intact tombs, the team found six skeletons accompanied by important objects: ceramic vessels, silver and gold jewelry, a spearhead, and other items indicating wealth.
It was assistant Elaine Sullivan, an Egyptology specialist, who noticed four small clay cylinders near the pottery.
At first, they seemed like just pieces of earth, but after a more detailed inspection, together with Schwartz, she realized that symbols were engraved on them.
These symbols were unlike anything known in Syria at that time, where cuneiform writing, originating from Mesopotamia, predominated.
Schwartz published preliminary drawings in 2006 and, in 2010, suggested that it might be a primitive alphabetic script.
The idea didn’t attract much attention immediately, but it gained traction in 2019 when he presented the material at a conference in Milan.
Experts like Christopher Rollston and Madadh Richey agreed with the interpretation.
Radiocarbon dating confirmed the date to around 2400 BC.
One of the cylinders bears the word “silanu,” which Semitic scholar Ted Lewis agreed was a possible proper name.
Because the cylinders are perforated, researchers believe they served as labels or markers, attached by cords to vessels, gifts, or other objects, perhaps to indicate the contents, origin, or owner.
Without a complete translation of the symbols, speculation continues, but the structure points to an alphabetic system, where each symbol represents a sound-something much simpler than cuneiform writing or hieroglyphs.
Until then, the oldest known alphabetic writing was Proto-Sinaitic, which emerged around 1800 BC in Egypt and Sinai, associated with Semitic peoples.
Before this, the Phoenician alphabet, from around 1050 BC, was considered the main starting point.
Now, these cylinders suggest that experiments with alphabets occurred much earlier and in a different location, in the interior of the ancient Near East.
Discoveries that alter established views take time to be accepted by the scientific community.
As one expert said, “paradigm-shifting discoveries are accepted gradually.” Similar new discoveries may help confirm whether this is indeed the oldest example of an alphabet.
For now, these small clay objects open a fascinating perspective on how humanity began to record descent in a direct and innovative way, transforming communication forever.
Published in 02/04/2026 08h36
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.
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