# The cylinder signs resemble Early Alphabetic letter forms, and their position on the tomb floor under collapsed…

> The cylinder signs resemble Early Alphabetic letter forms, and their position on the tomb floor under collapsed mudbrick argues against intrusion from a…

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/evidence/EVD0DEEAYVVG4DQ/the-cylinder-signs-resemble-early-alphabetic-letter-forms  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Proto-Sinaitic and Wadi el-Hol: the first alphabet](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic)Evidence

Evidence · Proto-Sinaitic and Wadi el-Hol: the first alphabet

# The cylinder signs resemble Early Alphabetic letter forms, and their position on the tomb floor under collapsed…

The cylinder signs resemble Early Alphabetic letter forms, and their position on the tomb floor under collapsed mudbrick argues against intrusion from a later period.

Suggestive0

## What it means

Key question[Are the Umm el-Marra clay cylinders of about 2400 BC alphabetic writing?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/questions/QST0DEDW8MZFBEA/are-the-umm-el-marra-clay-cylinders-of-about-2400-bc)

3 answers, none ahead yet

**Open** unchanged

Answer this evidence bears on[Alphabetic writing of c. 2400 BC (Schwartz)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/answers/ANS0DEDYNPG321Z/alphabetic-writing-of-c-2400-bc-schwartz)

Supports1 for, 1 against

**Still possible** unchanged

## Next steps 1

1

Compare the eight Umm el-Marra sign shapes with Early Bronze Syrian potters' marks as a null model, alongside the Early Alphabetic forms.

~10 h

[On: Are the Umm el-Marra clay cylinders of about 2400 BC alphabetic writing?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/questions/QST0DEDW8MZFBEA/are-the-umm-el-marra-clay-cylinders-of-about-2400-bc)

**—** not judged

Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes

## Sources 3

[Non-cuneiform writing at third-millennium Umm el-Marra, Syria: Evidence of an early alphabetic tradition?](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJPDYSZQF/non-cuneiform-writing-at-third-millennium-umm-el-marra-syria)

Schwartz 2021

SRC

[Tell Umm el-Marra (Syria) and Early Alphabetic in the Third Millennium: Four Inscribed Clay Cylinders as a Potential Game Changer](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJPS7A1RQ/tell-umm-el-marra-syria-and-early-alphabetic-in-the-third)

Rollston 2021

SRC

[World's Oldest Alphabet Found on an Ancient Clay Gift Tag](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJQ9VP421/worlds-oldest-alphabet-found-on-an-ancient-clay-gift-tag)

American 2024

SRC

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). The cylinder signs resemble Early Alphabetic letter forms, and their position on the tomb floor under collapsed… [Evidence EVD0DEEAYVVG4DQ]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/EVD0DEEAYVVG4DQ
```

Key

**EVD** 0DEEAYVVG4DQ

Kind

Evidence

Tier

Suggestive

Version

1

Added by

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