A cuneiform is a writing system which was in use from 34th century B.C.E till 2nd century C.E. This style of writing appeared first in Mesopotamia around 3100 B.C.E. Later it was swapped by alphabetic writing during Roman era. The term cuneiform was derived from the Latin terms 'cuneus' which means wedge and 'forma' which means shape. This style of writing was noted by marks shaped like wedges on clay tablets. It was Henry Rawlinson in 1838 who decoded cuneiform writing by studying the inscriptions on clay tablets.