Luwian Hieroglyphs: An Indigenous Anatolian Syllabic Script from 3,500 Years Ago The Oriental Institute Lecture Series, organized by the University of Chicago, brings notable scholars from around the country and abroad to present on new breakthroughs, unique perspectives, and innovative research applications related to the Ancient Middle East. Cuneiform writing on clay became wildly popular among the governing elites of the Ancient Near East. Although some societies, such as Egypt, only used cuneiform for their international correspondence, the Anatolians additionally adopted cuneiform for domestic use to write Hittite, Luwian, Hattic, and several other languages. But they also developed their own hieroglyphic script for inscriptions in Luwian only. Among other topics, this lecture explores where it came from, how widely it was used, and who could read it. Presented by Petra Goedegebuure, Associate Professor of Hittitology, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago. Thank you for your interest in the Oriental Institute Lecture Series. This series allows members, patrons, and friends to continue learning from UChicago faculty and visiting scholars as they present new breakthroughs, unique perspectives, and innovative research applications related to the ancient Middle East.