Greg Jenner

This is where I have a go at getting what you, our lovely listener, might know about today's subject. And, well, I think Phil has outclassed us all. You might remember a mention of cuneiform on our Babylonians episode we talked about before with Moody and Kay Curd. Maybe you've seen some cuneiform tablets in the British Museum or in the Ashmolean Museum in the States. I think Paris has some.

More likely, you've seen something resembling cuneiform, well, probably as a prop in a video game or in a movie. But to be honest, I don't think cuneiform is something that most people are visualising. I think, Phil, you did really well, because you then mentioned hieroglyphs. I think people go to hieroglyphs when they think of old scripts.

More likely, you've seen something resembling cuneiform, well, probably as a prop in a video game or in a movie. But to be honest, I don't think cuneiform is something that most people are visualising. I think, Phil, you did really well, because you then mentioned hieroglyphs. I think people go to hieroglyphs when they think of old scripts.

Yeah, but you knew triangle stuff, so that's kind of cool. So anyway, the questions we have to answer. What exactly was cuneiform? What do all these clay tablets actually tell us? What do they say? And who first figured out how to decipher it? Let's find out. Right, Dr Moody. Can we start with some quick basic definitions? Because I'm feeling very basic. What is cuneiform?

Yeah, but you knew triangle stuff, so that's kind of cool. So anyway, the questions we have to answer. What exactly was cuneiform? What do all these clay tablets actually tell us? What do they say? And who first figured out how to decipher it? Let's find out. Right, Dr Moody. Can we start with some quick basic definitions? Because I'm feeling very basic. What is cuneiform?

Am I pronouncing it right? Yeah. How did it get its name? What does its name mean?

Am I pronouncing it right? Yeah. How did it get its name? What does its name mean?

You said it was developed over 3,000 BCE, so it's over 5,000 years old.

You said it was developed over 3,000 BCE, so it's over 5,000 years old.

Possibly even older than that, like 5,300 years old, give or take.

Possibly even older than that, like 5,300 years old, give or take.

Who used it?

Who used it?

And then they're like, guys, triangles.

And then they're like, guys, triangles.

Sumerians, Akkadians, then Babylonians, then Elamites, Hittites, Neo-Assyrians, and then Persia.

Sumerians, Akkadians, then Babylonians, then Elamites, Hittites, Neo-Assyrians, and then Persia.

Someone needs to do a song. There needs to be like a kind of... Like an alphabet song. Like an alphabet song. Like, if only Sesame Street could just do this for us, that'd be great. The Neo-Sumerians. The Neo-Assyrians. Neo-Assyrians.

Someone needs to do a song. There needs to be like a kind of... Like an alphabet song. Like an alphabet song. Like, if only Sesame Street could just do this for us, that'd be great. The Neo-Sumerians. The Neo-Assyrians. Neo-Assyrians.

Phil, we're going to mix things up here. We're going to go to modern history now. We're going to start with only a couple of hundred years ago when they deciphered Kineiform. Can you guess the nationality of the man who deciphered this ancient Near Eastern technology? Oh. Nationality for us, please, Phil. French. French. It's a good guess. His name was Henry Rawlinson. Okay.