Researchers discovered the oldest known alphabet in a Syrian tomb.
American archaeologists from Johns Hopkins University have discovered the oldest known example of alphabetic writing in human history during excavations of a tomb in Syria. The finding was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR). This was reported by Daily Mail, as noted by UNN.
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It is noted that the researchers uncovered clay cylinders, covered with symbols and about the length of a human finger, in a burial site from the Bronze Age at Umm el-Marra, which was home to one of the oldest cities in the Middle East.
Additionally, six skeletons, gold and silver jewelry, kitchen utensils, a spearhead, and intact ceramic vessels were also found at the site.
Radiocarbon dating revealed that the alphabetic cylinders were created around 2400 BC, making them approximately 500 years older than the oldest known examples of writing.