Cuneiform was the first kind of writing in the world. Cuneiform was written with a wedge shaped stick called a stylus that was used to make triangle marks in a clay tablet. The name “Cuneiform” came later (we do not know what the Sumerians would have called their writing) and contains the Latin word “cuneus” meaning “wedge shaped.” Since clay tablets can last for thousands of years under the right conditions we have many artifacts containing Sumerian cuneiform. Now you can make your own cuneiform tablets… but don’t expect these to last for 4,000 years! You will be working with cookie dough instead of clay.