How long has literacy been around?

Literacy as we know it today has existed for about 5,000 years, with the earliest examples of writing dating back to ancient Sumer in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500 BC. This early form of writing, known as cuneiform, used wedge-shaped symbols on clay tablets to record economic and administrative transactions. Other early writing systems, such as hieroglyphics in ancient Egypt and ideograms in China, also emerged around the same time. While these early forms of writing were limited to a small elite class of scribes and priests, they laid the foundation for the development of more widespread literacy in later centuries. The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century revolutionized literacy by making books affordable and accessible to a wider population. This led to a dramatic increase in literacy rates, especially in Europe and North America. Today, literacy is a fundamental skill that is essential for education, employment, and social participation in most countries around the world.