16 - Public domain medieval manuscript

Cuneiform tablets were one of the earliest forms of written communication and used by the ancient Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) between the 4th and 1st millennium BCE. They provide a wealth of information about the ancient Mesopotamian society, including its economy, politics, religion, and culture. Cuneiform tablets were used for a wide range of purposes, including recording financial transactions, legal documents, religious texts, literature, and scientific observations.

The term "cuneiform" comes from the Latin word "cuneus," which means "wedge." Cuneiform tablets were made by pressing a reed stylus into wet clay, forming wedge-shaped marks that represented words and phrases. The clay was then left to dry in the sun, preserving the writing for thousands of years.