The Arrival and Development of Writing in Anatolia

Written sources show that, from the last quarter of the 3rd millennium BC the Akkadians, and from the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC the Assyrians came to Anatolia for trade. These peoples, who came to Anatolia for trade, brought WRITING with them, which is a very important information for Anatolian history. The first written documents in Anatolia are found in the Assyrian Trade Colonies Age (1950-1750 BC). The reason why writing is not used in Anatolia is probably the lack of a commercial system that requires keeping economic records. For this reason, texts written entirely on labor law and regulation were found in the first written documents instead of a historical content. In Kültepe, more than 20.000 tablets written on commercial subjects such as debt securities of Assyrian merchants, caravan and receivables records, employment contracts, business letters and court records on commercial disputes were found.