Persepolis, Iran Oct 17, 2023

Persepolis, Iran

Cuneiform, a script characterized by wedge-shaped symbols, was used in transcribing numerous languages of the Ancient Near East, which region roughly corresponds to today"s Middle East area. Its usage spanned from the early Bronze Age to the dawn of the 1st century CE. The publication of Achaemenid royal inscriptions at Persepolis—modern-day Iran—shed light again on cuneiform in the early 17th century. These inscriptions presented a mosaic of languages, a linguistic puzzle that would ultimately yield to the determined efforts of scholars in the 19th century. Unraveling the secrets of cuneiform opened a window into the past, allowing us to grasp the profound significance of this ancient script in shaping human history.

© George Hall/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Widespread and long-eared
Oct 17, 2024Kochia, Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Oct 17, 2025Rock River Falls, Upper Peninsula, Michigan, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 22, 2024Bada Bagh complex in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Jan 13, 2025Happy Welsh New Year!
Nov 21, 2025Small island near Ezhikkara, Kerala
Jun 19, 2025Masai giraffe mother grooming her calf in the Serengeti, Tanzania
The harmony between land and sun
Sep 9, 2024Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
Take a hike!
Jul 15, 2024Marine Day, Japan
A painters palette of natures hues
In the tropics, land greets sea warmly
Aug 25, 2025Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
What is this grand structure?
A peck between penguins
Monsoon awakens the sleeping mountains
‘Moravian Tuscany’
Feb 8, 2025Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
Jan 4, 2025Bản Giốc – Detian Falls, Vietnam
Jan 8, 2026Starling murmuration over the ruins of Brightons West Pier, England
Feb 11, 2025Yungang Grottoes, Datong, China
Apr 28, 2025Impala in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
When just a pinch of salt won’t do
Jun 21, 2025International Day of Yoga
Jan 4, 2024Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
Spiralling upward...
Aug 31, 2023Saguaro cacti, Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona
Dec 27, 2024Lake Bled, Slovenia
Dec 22, 2023Red Fort, Delhi
An endless stretch of sky
Oct 10, 2025Fiji Day
Jan 2, 2025Ardez village, Graubunden, Switzerland