The alphabet appeared not right after the invention of the letter, long time writing was hieroglyphic, come from early pictograms. The need to write down the sound maintenance of words appeared in 2700 B.C. at ancient Egyptians. But the first alphabet more often call Phoenician as it was widespread and gave rise to other alphabets.
Writing history
The first writing was sign – pictographic or hieroglyphic. It came from primitive drawings which it is possible to call protowriting. The remains of stones with the pictographic letter which was presumably belonging to one of the cultures of Near Asia were found in the 9th millennium B.C. in the territory of Syria. The Chinese letter is very ancient: its history began approximately in the 6th millennium B.C., the inscriptions on turtle armors consisting of ancient hieroglyphs belong exactly by this time.
The hieroglyphic letter was difficult, it was necessary to remember a huge number of signs which belonged to different words and concepts. Such writing had no relation to a sound system of language. Long time of need for more simplified version of the letter did not arise, this art was required infrequently, units owned it.
The first alphabet
Ancient Egyptians used the hieroglyphic letter, but by 2700 B.C. in connection with development of trade and agriculture there was a need for more simplified writing. There was the first alphabet: for designation of consonants of language took set of 22 hieroglyphs which made in words. Scientists also found the 23rd hieroglyph – perhaps, it transmitted a certain vowel. This system was not the most widespread, hieroglyphs continued to exist, and letters of the new alphabet were used for transfer of auxiliary words, grammatical constructions and foreign loans. Began to use the similar alphabet in Canaan later, call it Semitic, it consisted of the Egyptian hieroglyphs and several new signs.
Phoenician letter
Often first alphabet call Phoenician as in Phoenicia – the ancient Canaanite state – began to use sound designations everywhere. It consisted of 22 letters which designated only consonants too. Their writing came from Ancient Greek hieroglyphs, but was a little modified. Phoenicians wrote from right to left with special ink on clay crocks. Phoenicia was located near the sea, many trade ways were crossed here therefore pretty fast the alphabet began to get into other countries of the Mediterranean. So there were Aramaic, Greek also other alphabets on the basis of which there was writing of many modern languages.