Cuneiform was one of the earliest systems of writing, invented by Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia. This earliest writing time period was around 3,500 BCE to 3,000 BCE. This is one of the oldest forms of writing known. It means “wedge-shaped,” because people wrote it using a reed stylus cut to make a wedge-shaped mark on a clay tablet. This writing system consists of a combination of logophonetic, consonantal alphabetic, and syllabic signs. Cuneiform writing was used to record a variety of information such as temple activities, business and trade. This writing system was also used to write stories, myths, and personal letters.