Cuneiform Quiz

What is cuneiform?

• A form of dance popular in ancient Mesopotamia

• A type of pottery made in ancient Mesopotamia

• A musical instrument used in Mesopotamia

• A triangular script used to write the Sumerian language

Which languages were recorded using cuneiform?

• Sumerian, Akkadian, Yoga Retic, and Old Persian

• English, French, German, and Spanish

• Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese

• Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, and Hebrew

According to the Mesopotamian story, why was cuneiform writing created?

• To communicate with other civilizations

• To record great works of literature and poetry

• To keep track of sales receipts and taxation records

• As part of a competition between two cities

What does the word 'cuneiform' mean?

• Circular

• Wedge-shaped

• Triangular

• Curved

How was cuneiform writing formed?

• By pressing a reed stylus into clay

• By etching on metal plates

• By using ink and a brush on papyrus

• By carving on stone tablets

What does it mean for cuneiform to be phonetic?

• One sign represents one spoken sound

• One sign represents a whole word

• One sign represents a whole paragraph

• One sign represents a whole sentence

What does it mean for cuneiform to be logographic?

• One sign represents a whole paragraph

• One sign represents a whole sentence

• One sign represents one spoken sound

• One sign represents a whole word

Who were the main users of cuneiform?

• Kings and queens

• Professional scribes

• Merchants and traders

• Farmers and laborers

How many cuneiform signs needed to be learned by professional scribes?

• Several hundred

• A dozen

• Only a few

• Thousands