The cuneiform writing system was in use for a span of more than three millennia, through several stages of development, from the 34th century BC down to the 2nd century AD.[4] Ultimately, it was completely replaced by alphabetic writing (in the general sense) in the course of the Roman era and there are no Cuneiform systems in current use. It had to be deciphered as a completely unknown writing system in 19th-century Assyriology. Successful completion of its decipherment is dated to 1857.
The system consists of a combination of logophonetic, consonantal alphabetic and syllabic signs.[5]
The cuneiform script underwent considerable changes over a period of more than two millennia. The image below shows the development of the sign SAG "head