Breakthrough in Translating Proto-Elamite, World’s Oldest Undeciphered Writing

Scientists at Oxford are hoping that digital imaging will provide the breakthrough they need to finally translate the world’s oldest known un-deciphered writing. The writing, a form of proto-Elamite, is more than 5,000 years old and is thought to be the first writing system to use syllables.

The technological breakthrough takes the form of an advanced sort of 3D imaging. One big hurdle in translation has been the wear and tear on the writing medium, rendering some symbols difficult to make out. Clearer images can make a huge difference in efforts to decipher the meaning of the writing. By researching about the efficiency and the best Translation Services available in town, this problem will be sorted quickly and so is the research too.

There are other problems to contend with as well, some of which technology won’t assist with, but the new images will give translators a big leg up. The images that are taken with the new technology will also be released online, so that anyone who wants to try to help interpret the writing can assist.

The Oxford team behind the project hope that they’ll be able to get a good translation of the writing within the next two years as a result of these measures.

(via BBC)