The ancient society recognized for the development of cuneiform writing is the Sumerians, who inhabited ancient Mesopotamia around 3100 BC. Cuneiform, derived from the Latin word for "wedge-shaped," was one of the earliest systems of writing and involved pressing a stylus into soft clay tablets to create various symbols and marks. Initially developed for record-keeping purposes, such as documenting trade and administrative activities, cuneiform evolved to encompass literature, legal codes, and scientific texts, thereby significantly influencing communication and record-keeping in subsequent cultures across the region.