How many characters are in the cuneiform writing system?

There is no single answer to how many characters are in the cuneiform writing system. Here's why:

* Cuneiform evolved over time: The system changed over 3,000 years, with different periods having different numbers of signs.

* Sign vs. Character: Cuneiform signs are like letters, but sometimes a single sign can represent multiple sounds or even entire words. This makes counting "characters" ambiguous.

* Number of signs per language: Different languages that used cuneiform had different sign inventories.

Here's a breakdown:

* Earliest forms: The earliest cuneiform had about 200 signs.

* Akkadian: By the time of the Akkadian Empire (c. 2300 BC), the system used around 600 signs.

* Later periods: In the Late Babylonian period (c. 600 BC), the number of signs used could reach 2,000 or more.

Therefore, a general estimate would be that the cuneiform writing system used a few hundred to several thousand signs throughout its history.