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Tokens were used in early Mesopotamia to represent goods used in trade. Their uses were minimal, only being used in trade. They inspired the first writing system.
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These are what the tokens looked like. -
In Elam (modern Iran), accountants started to impress the tokens on the surface of clay envelopes. This allowed the accountants to know how many tokens were in the envelope without cracking it open. -
The clay envelopes evolved into solid clay tablets to record quantities of goods received and disbursed. -
With the creation of phonetic writing, communication expanded beyond just trade. Names and narratives were soon inscribed on clay tablets. -
This was when the first documented story was written. It was entirely phonetic and had the names of the deceased written on it. They thought that by doing this they could ensure the deceased immortal life. -
The Sumerian script became an intricate network of ideograms mixed with phonetic signs. This created an avenue for other parts of the world to start writing phonetically. For example, the Egyptians first started writing phonetically.
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People started writing cuneiform. They were called tablet writers and they wrote essays and books on the tablets. They would document their life on the tablets. The creation of cuneiform later evolved into the modern writing system braille. Cuneiform was a tactile form of writing with wedge-shaped indents in clay tablets. In the 19th century the tactile writing system, braille, was created. -
The creation of the alphabet started with symbols representing the first letter of their respective words. The foundation of the alphabet was made only once and opened a gateway for all other languages and their alphabets.