Controversial theory about ancient human history: Origins of written language | Irving Finkel

Quick Overview

Irving Finkel argues that the earliest Sumerian cuneiform writing system, which began as pictographs representing objects, was structurally less flexible than later phonetic systems because it lacked explicit markers for grammatical components like vowels, prefixes, and suffixes, leading to potential ambiguity compared to the agglutinative structure of later languages like Sumerian itself.

Key Points: Cuneiform writing began around 3200 BC as a pictographic system in ancient Sumer, using wedge-shaped marks pressed into clay tablets to represent objects and concepts (00:05-00:13). The first phase of cuneiform (c. 3400–2900 BC) used simple pictures, which Finkel suggests was limited because it lacked explicit grammatical markers like vowels, prefixes, or suffixes (00:46, 01:31). The second phase (c. 2900 BC onward) evolved into true cuneiform, becoming more abstract and phonetic, representing sounds rather than just objects (01:03). Finkel posits that the early pictographic system was structurally rigid and less adaptable for complex communication compared to agglutinative languages (01:37, 02:25). He illustrates this by comparing the early system to a hypothetical scenario where one would have to draw pictures for concepts like 'go' and then add prefixes/suffixes to denote tense or voice, which the early system could not easily accommodate (04:07-04:22). The perceived controversy surrounding his view stems from the fact that many Assyriologists might resist the idea that the earliest evidence is misleading or fundamentally limited (02:38, 03:44).

Context: This video features an interview between Lex Fridman and Irving Finkel, a renowned Assyriologist and curator at the British Museum, discussing the origins and evolution of the cuneiform writing system developed by the Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia. Finkel presents a specific perspective on the limitations of the earliest pictographic phase of cuneiform compared to later, more phonetically rich writing systems, particularly regarding the encoding of grammar.