Enigmatic Objects, 2019

The pre-cursor of text first appeared in Mesopotamia 10,000 years ago, as playful tactile objects made from clay. When first discovered, archaeologists named these 'Enigmatic Objects', or 'Objects of Uncertain Purpose'. They were used to count over 300 different kinds of goods. Messages were sent as collections of these objects in spherical clay 'envelopes'. Over time these objects were flattened and inscribed into surfaces as symbols, which evolved into the written languages we know today.