Egyptians develop a hieroglyphic system of writing

Hieroglyphics make their first appearance around 3100 BC. This system of writing was developed by Egyptians. The word hieroglyph actually comes from the Greek and means ‘sacred writing in stone’.

Hieroglyphics consist of pictures that depict common objects. As a more sophisticated system develops pictures are used to represent sounds so the writing could be read phonetically.

Hieroglyphic developed ins stages, as was the case with all writing systems. At first, only the simplest symbols were developed. Then the number of symbols increased, making it easier to read. It was essentially unchanged for several thousand years until about 500 BC when the number of symbols again increased dramatically. The demise of hieroglyphic writing coincided with the rise of Christianity.

Discovering the scientific advances of the ancient world translating scrolls and other hieroglyphics writings has allowed modern scholars to learn about the achievements of the ancient Egyptians.

For centuries after the close of the Egyptian empire, hieroglyphics were a mystery that no one could read. Then in 1822 Jean Francois Champollion, a brilliant young French linguist discovered the key to reading the Rosetta Stone, a tablet with writing in hieroglyphics, demotic and Greek, Hieroglyphic writing could be deciphered.
Egyptians develop a hieroglyphic system of writing

Sumerians develop cuneiform writing

Sumerians developed a system of pictographs by 3500 BC. Very soon these pictographs evolved in to archetypal symbols representing something with sound and meaning.

Around 3200 BC the system evolves into a more systematic form of writing known as cuneiform. Using a blunt-ended stylus, Sumerians imprint wedge-like strokes into a clay tablet.

It took a conventional form of linear cuneiform drawings and was written from left to right.  The Sumerians used cuneiform to write their stories. Then the Semitic Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Canaanites used the sound signs to write down their spoken languages.

Since the time of Christ the knowledge about the Sumerians and their language was totally forgotten and vanished from the history. It was known only after 18000 AD when the cuneiform script was deciphered.

Today, scholars used the cuneiform records to help them understand the way of life and achievements on the Middle East thousands of years ago.
Sumerians develop cuneiform writing

Sumerians write using pictograms

Writing was an essential development in ancient civilizations, allowing people to record observations, rituals and other information for future generations.

The Sumerian lived in Mesopotamia. They established cities, farmed, herded animals, hunted, fished and traded. As their trading increased they realized they needed a way to keep records. Around 3500 BC, the Sumerian people begin using pictograms as a form of writing. Unlike modern writing systems each picture or pictograms is a direct image of the object it represents.

Pictograms

The Sumerians used a reed stylus (stick) to carve the pictograms into wet clay tables. When the clay hardened the sorting became a permanent record.

Pictograms are a series of symbols depicting various objects and animals that are used to convey information. Each pictogram represents an object or an idea. Eventually the system expands to include more than 1000 different symbols.

The Sumerian pictograms evolved into what is known as cuneiform writing by using a wedge-shaped stylus, where the symbol represented the name of the thing than the actual thing itself.
Sumerians write using pictograms