Final answer:
The development of cuneiform was primarily influenced by the need for more advanced business record-keeping.
Step-by-step explanation:
The MOST influential factor in the development of cuneiform was the need for more advanced business record-keeping (C). Cuneiform, which was the earliest known writing system, emerged in ancient Mesopotamia around 3200 BCE and was primarily used for commercial transactions and administrative purposes. It allowed merchants and traders to keep detailed records of goods, debts, and legal agreements. While religious thoughts and experiences (B) and the need for an abstract system of expressing ideas (D) might have played a role in the development of cuneiform, they were not the primary reasons for its creation.
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