Final answer:
Sumer was the first civilization to develop a system of writing known as cuneiform around 3000 BCE, initially used partly for taxation and eventually for literature and recording laws. According to scribes' records, Sumer was the first civilization to develop a system of writing (A).
Step-by-step explanation:
According to scribes' records, Sumer was the first civilization to develop a system of writing. The Sumerians invented cuneiform script, which became a sophisticated method of transcribing the spoken language into symbolic form. The birth of writing took place around 3000 BCE or earlier, and it initially started as a pictographic system, later evolving to include syllabic symbols where each symbol could represent a sound or a syllable. Writing was a major invention of the Sumerians, used for keeping detailed records including laws, commercial transactions, and the recording of literature.
Moreover, the ancient city of Uruk is known as one of the first true cities, which housed the invention of cuneiform writing. This writing system was not only used for record-keeping but also for creating literature, and it was instrumental in the operation of the centralized government within the Sumerian city-states.