Both Mesopotamian cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphics share the core attribute of using symbols or images to represent sounds, ideas, and objects. However, the nature of these writing systems differs in their approach:
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Logograms and Phonetics: Cuneiform includes logograms (symbols representing words or morphemes) and phonetic elements (symbols representing sounds), allowing for a combination of word representation and phonetic spelling.
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Hieroglyphs: Egyptian hieroglyphs also comprise logographic and phonetic symbols, where some hieroglyphs function as pictorial representations of objects and concepts, while others represent sounds or syllables.
In both writing systems, images serve as a fundamental means of communication, conveying specific meanings and assisting in the documentation of language, culture, and administration in their respective civilizations.