Cuneiform is one of the earliest systems of writing, developed by the ancient Sumerians around 3200 BCE in Mesopotamia. It consists of wedge-shaped marks made on clay tablets using a stylus, which allowed for the recording of various languages, including Sumerian and Akkadian. Cuneiform was used for administrative, legal, literary, and scientific texts, playing a crucial role in the administration and culture of ancient civilizations. Its usage declined with the rise of alphabetic writing systems around the first century CE.