View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/who-invented-writing-matthew-winkler

Speaking came thousands of years before writing. All writing that has developed since its invention can be traced back to two civilizations: Sumerian and Chinese. Matthew Winkler dissects the evolution of Sumerian cuneiform and explains the difference between writing those first symbols and simply drawing meaning.

Lesson by Matthew Winkler, animation by TED-Ed.