Final answer:
Early scripts, such as cuneiform in Sumer, were invented to record economic transactions and evolved to include complex ideas and laws, facilitating the transition from prehistory to recorded history and expressing the intellectual and spiritual curiosities of societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Early scripts were invented as a method to record the spoken language in symbolic form, a key cultural advancement that transitioned societies from prehistory into history. Found in various regions such as Mesopotamia, these scripts varied but shared common purposes. The cuneiform script, originating in Sumer around 3400 BCE, is one of the earliest known writing systems. Initially used for keeping economic records, such as tallies of livestock and measures of grain, it evolved to include royal inscriptions, legal codes, religious texts, and accounts of legends and political events.
In addition to economic activities, writing fulfilled a crucial role in bringing order, answering important questions, and addressing the human need to understand the world. It marked a transition from simple accounting to expressing complex thoughts about philosophy, morality, and society, particularly during the "Axial Period" where philosophical thought bloomed.
Overall, these early scripts not only facilitated the administration of growing urban societies but also captured the intellectual and spiritual curiosity of human civilization, laying down the foundation for recorded history and its subsequent understanding.