Gina Steffen

Hour 2

9/13/2010

Papyrus vs. Cuneiform

Many ancient civilizations had their own systems of writing for record keeping,

literature, and many other purposes. Two ancient systems of writing were the cuneiform

system and the papyrus system. Between these two systems, the cuneiform system was

better because of its ease of use, durability, and the prestige that came with this system.

The cuneiform system was much easier to use than the papyrus system. It was

used by pressing a sharpened reed into a moist clay tablet to form symbols. The papyrus

system was used by pounding together stems of the papyrus reed in a horizontal and

vertical grid pattern using a soft mallet, then using ink to write symbols. The cuneiform

system was easier to use because all you had to do was shape the moist clay into a tablet

and sharpen a reed, whereas with the papyrus system, you had to take the time to make

the papyrus paper and the ink before you could write.

The cuneiform system was much more durable than the papyrus system. Once the

clay tablet dried, all you had to worry about was cracking it. If the papyrus got wet, the

ink would wash off and whatever was written on it would be gone. Also, when the

papyrus dried out, it became very fragile.

Mastering the cuneiform system came with much more prestige than the papyrus

system. The papyrus system was created for everyday use by the Egyptians, but the

cuneiform system involved several hundred signs and required years of practice in the

tablet house. Because of this, literacy was a rare accomplishment, so mastery of the

cuneiform system came with a great deal of prestige, as well as regular employment.

Between the cuneiform system and the papyrus system, the cuneiform system was

much better than the papyrus system because of its ease of use, durability, and the

prestige that came with it. Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages, but

overall, cuneiform is better.