What is the oldest known written document?

Answer 1

The above answers are all entertaining but totally false. Writing first emerged in the Fertile Crescent over 6000 years ago. We have several several examples of ancient cuneiform intact today.

Here's an article for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_writing

Answer 2

The Phaistos Disk has been dated to around 1700 BC making it "by far the earliest printed document in the world".

It was unearthed on the island of Crete (Greece) on July 3 1908. Its a small, flat, unpainted disk of clay 6.5 inches in diameter. Both sides are covered in writing, following a curved line that spiraled clockwise in 5 coils from the disk's rim to its centre.

This is the earliest PRINTED document - i.e. not hand written. The writing was made by small stamps, made to be re-used over and over again. Making us believe that whoever made the disk probably had a lot of writing to do. The writer would be able to make multiple copies of documents more quickly and neatly than if he or she had to write them out by hand.

The next known efforts in printing technologies didn't happen until 2500 years later in China, and 3100 years later in medieval Europe.

Answer 3

Anita, I tend to agree with you, since cave paintings can be considered a form of heiroglyphics. But generally recognized as the oldest written document is cyndrilical clay record of trade accounts written in cuniform from ancient Mesopotamia. I can't remember exactly what it was dated at, but its around 6,000 yrs old.

Answer 4

I believe the Septuagint (the first five books of the Old Testament Bible), though it could be Hammurabi's laws.

Answer 5

babylonian tax records, theyre on clay tablets

second oldest is a beer recipe, also from babylon

Answer 6

The "Caveman's reported kills on the cave walls.

Answer 7

The Bible