Abstract One of the most significant problems in cuneiform studies is the process of identifying unknown signs, which often involves a tedious page-by-page search through a sign list. This paper proposes a new “recursive encoding” for signs, which represents the arrangement of strokes in a way that computers can process. A series of new algorithms then offers scholars a new way to look up signs by any distinctive component, as well as providing new ways to render signs and tablets electronically. ACM CCS Applied computing → Document management and text processing → Document preparation → Format and notation.