Which civilization introduced coin money around 600 BCE and adopted the Phoenician writing system, using the Greek alphabet for record-keeping?

• A. Egyptians
• B. Greeks
• C. Romans
• D. Babylonians

Answer: (B)

Coin money and writing systems shaped how ancient societies traded and kept records, and the civilization that fits both parts is the Greeks. Around 600 BCE, Greek city-states started using coins to standardize payments, which boosted trade across the Mediterranean. At the same time, they adopted the Phoenician writing system and transformed it into the Greek alphabet, which they used for everyday record-keeping, inscriptions, and literature. This combination—early coinage and a Greek alphabet derived from Phoenician—defines Greek civilization. Other ancient peoples relied on different scripts (for example, Egyptians with hieroglyphs and Babylonians with cuneiform) and did not use the Phoenician-derived Greek alphabet for their records.