Ancient history

Which five early civilizations invented writing?

1. Sumerian civilization in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) is credited with inventing the earliest form of writing, known as cuneiform, in around 3500 BC.

2. Egyptian hieroglyphics were developed in around 3200 BC, used by ancient Egyptians for communication and religious texts.

3. Indus Valley Civilization in the Indian subcontinent flourished in 2500-1900 BC, and had their own undeciphered writing system known as Indus script.

4. Olmec civilization in Mesoamerica (present-day Mexico and Central America) developed their system of writing called Olmec glyphs around 650 BC.

5. Chinese writing originated around 1500 BC during the Shang dynasty. The characters used in Chinese writing evolved over time and gave rise to various styles and script forms.