Erlend Gehlken Book order

Challenging the traditional narrative, this monograph argues that the indigenous people of Mesopotamia, termed "Protoeuphratians," were the true creators of the cuneiform script, rather than the Sumerians. It explores the origins of writing systems, contrasting the use of ink on papyrus in Egypt with clay tablets in Mesopotamia. The book aims to engage both experts and general readers, inviting them to delve into the historical and linguistic intricacies of early writing. The cover features an image of Uruk's temple tower alongside a clay tablet inscribed with ancient cuneiform.

Today it is accepted that the first two writing systems of mankind were created independently of each other about 5000 years ago, one of them (the cuneiform script) in Mesopotamia (Iraq), the other (the hiero- glyphics) in Egypt. In Egypt, people wrote with ink on papyrus, in Mesopotamia with a reed stylus on palm-sized “tablets” of clay. According to common belief, the Sumerians created the cuneiform script in the city of Uruk – in those days, the largest city in the world. The author of this monograph attempts to prove that it was not the Sume- rians, but the indigenous people of Mesopotamia who created writing. These indigenous people, whose name for themselves is not known, are referred to as “Protoeuphratians” in order to be able to identify them, and their language is consequently called “Protoeuphratic (language)” (PE). The front cover shows the remains of the “temple tower” of the city of Uruk and a clay tablet with archaic cuneiform script signs. This monograph is written for both experts and interested lay persons. Let yourself be captured by the magic and mystery of the past ...