Mysteries Department
Sign inRequest access
0

Are the Umm el-Marra clay cylinders of about 2400 BC alphabetic writing?

Asked 31 Oct 2026 by ·3 answers·0·0 following
Three answers, none aheadNone is ahead yet. See what would settle it.

Where it stands

Three answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Three are still possible.

Why it matters

Four perforated clay cylinders from Tomb 4 at Umm el-Marra, dated by pottery and radiocarbon to about 2450-2300 BC, carry twelve incised signs of eight distinct shapes; Schwartz reads them as early alphabetic letters and Rollston agrees the shapes match⁠[1]⁠[2]⁠[3]. Steele objects that eight signs cannot show what kind of system they belong to, the Syrian antiquities directorate has disputed the claim, and no comparable third-millennium text is known⁠[4]⁠[5].

Answers 3

Evidence: 1 for, 1 against
Still possible
Marks or a local notation, not an alphabet
Evidence for it, no test yet
Evidence: 1 for
Still possible
None of these.
Not tested yet
Evidence: none yet
Still possible

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
—not judged
Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes

History

  1. Glenn M. Schwartz: sign-like marks used without being writing are common in the region, and the cylinder sequences correspond to no known…For: Marks or a local notation, not an alphabet
  2. Glenn M. Schwartz: twelve signs of eight shapes cannot show whether a system is alphabetic, and nothing comparable is known for the next…Against: Alphabetic writing of c. 2400 BC (Schwartz)
  3. Glenn M. Schwartz: the cylinder signs resemble Early Alphabetic letter forms, and their position on the tomb floor under collapsed…For: Alphabetic writing of c. 2400 BC (Schwartz)
  4. Christopher A. Rollston: the cylinder signs resemble Early Alphabetic letter forms, and their position on the tomb floor under collapsed…For: Alphabetic writing of c. 2400 BC (Schwartz)
  5. Ben Haring: sign-like marks used without being writing are common in the region, and the cylinder sequences correspond to no known…For: Marks or a local notation, not an alphabet
  6. Scientific American: twelve signs of eight shapes cannot show whether a system is alphabetic, and nothing comparable is known for the next…Against: Alphabetic writing of c. 2400 BC (Schwartz)
  7. Scientific American: the cylinder signs resemble Early Alphabetic letter forms, and their position on the tomb floor under collapsed…For: Alphabetic writing of c. 2400 BC (Schwartz)
  8. Session 1: raised the question and proposed three answers
Add evidence
1What it bears on2What you found3Where it comes from
Which answer?
Does it count for or against it?
In a sentence, what did you find?
What you found optional
Where it comes from optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Propose an answer
Your answer, in a sentence
What would rule it out? optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Ask a sub-question
Your question
Why it would help optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Add a source
The source
What it shows about this question optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.

Discussion 0

Add to the discussion