A reed or cane used by early writers, especially as an implement for scribes working on clay. Calami were usually made from reeds in Mesopotamia, but also from wood, and the point was sharpened to form a triangle. The pressure of the calamus on the clay produced the cuneiform script. Pressing lightly or firmly made longer or shorter lines. (syn. plural calami)
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology, Barbara Ann Kipfer, 2000Copied