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What was a scribe in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia?

Quick Answer

A scribe was a trained writer who recorded information for temples, governments, and merchants. Because writing was specialized, scribes held important social status.

The Full Story

Scribes were professionals trained to read and write in systems like hieroglyphs and cuneiform. In both Egypt and Mesopotamia, they kept records of taxes, laws, harvests, inventories, and religious texts. Scribes were essential to the functioning of early states because most people did not read or write. Their education could take years, and their work made them part of an elite administrative class.

Key Facts

1.Handled records, taxes, and laws
2.Writing was a specialized profession
3.Scribes formed an elite class

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