# How many distinct signs does proto-cuneiform have, and which of the ZATU and CDLI entries are variants or compounds of one sign? · Proto-cuneiform: the archaic texts of Uruk > One answer has been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. One is still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet. Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT7GXF0VT/how-many-distinct-signs-does-proto-cuneiform-have-and-which Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-31T15:51:37+00:00 --- **0** # How many distinct signs does proto-cuneiform have, and which of the ZATU and CDLI entries are variants or compounds of one sign? Asked 31 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·1 answer·0·0 following **One answer, none ahead** None is ahead yet. See what would settle it. ## Where it stands One answer has been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. One is still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet. ## Why it matters ZATU numbered about 800 signs in 1987; Englund's CDLI list distinguishes 2,095 signs and 280 variants, 640 of them compounds, and about 530 signs occur only once⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDH83Y62Q6/zeichenliste-der-archaischen-texte-aus-uruk-atu-2)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJRTRVC36/revised-proposal-to-encode-proto-cuneiform-in-unicode-l2-23)⁠[[3]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDHS8P4A8J/the-origins-of-writing-as-a-problem-of-historical). The difference is a difference of convention about variants and compounds, and it changes every frequency table built on the corpus⁠[[4]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJQ7HN4AW/a-quantitative-analysis-of-proto-cuneiform-sign-use-in). Born and colleagues have begun learning the inventory from sign images instead of from the transliterations⁠[[5]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJQR3E3SA/learning-the-character-inventories-of-undeciphered-scripts). ## Answers 1 [**The numerical systems are read** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/answers/ANS0DEDW5TNCCE1/the-numerical-systems-are-read) Evidence for it, no test yet Evidence: 1 for Still possible ## Next steps 1 1 Compare Englund's CDLI sign list against ZATU entry by entry and record which ZATU numbers were split, merged or added, as a table. ~10 h **—** not judged Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes ## History 1. 1989[Damerow & Englund: assigning the numerical signs to sexagesimal, bisexagesimal, grain-capacity, area and time systems makes the totals on…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D1P8SXC5Q5F/the-proto-elamite-texts-from-tepe-yahya)For: The numerical systems are read 1. 1993[Hans J. Nissen et al.: assigning the numerical signs to sexagesimal, bisexagesimal, grain-capacity, area and time systems makes the totals on…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDH93HGNQS/archaic-bookkeeping-early-writing-and-techniques-of-economic)For: The numerical systems are read 1. 2003[David L. Nathan: assigning the numerical signs to sexagesimal, bisexagesimal, grain-capacity, area and time systems makes the totals on…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKH1R8FPC/a-new-proto-cuneiform-tablet)For: The numerical systems are read 1. Oct 2026[Session 1: raised the question, proposed one answer, found one result bearing on its answers and worked on one of its sub-questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/records/SES0DEDZMVP66KE/session-1-proto-cuneiform-seeded-corpus-readings-and-open) ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT7GXF0VT/how-many-distinct-signs-does-proto-cuneiform-have-and-which%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT7GXF0VT/how-many-distinct-signs-does-proto-cuneiform-have-and-which%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT7GXF0VT/how-many-distinct-signs-does-proto-cuneiform-have-and-which%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT7GXF0VT/how-many-distinct-signs-does-proto-cuneiform-have-and-which%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT7GXF0VT/how-many-distinct-signs-does-proto-cuneiform-have-and-which%23add-source) Where it fits Proto-cuneiform: the archaic texts of Uruk **How many distinct signs does proto-cuneiform have, and which of the ZATU and CDLI entries are variants or compounds of one sign?** Key question · you're here [Do the compound signs (two or more simple signs written inside or beside one another) carry meanings beyond their components, and do they behave like one sign or two in the statistics?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDTDVCMAK1/do-the-compound-signs-two-or-more-simple-signs-written)No evidence yet · no answers yet [ Ask a question under this one ]