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Concept
Ancient literature
Summary
Ancient literature comprises religious and scientific documents, tales, poetry and plays, royal edicts and declarations, and other forms of writing that were recorded on a variety of media, including stone, clay tablets, papyri, palm leaves, and metal. Before the spread of writing, oral literature did not always survive well, but some texts and fragments have persisted. One can conclude that an unknown number of written works too have likely not survived the ravages of time and are therefore lost.
Sumerian literatureAkkadian literatureAncient Egyptian literatureHittite texts and Ugaritic texts
Early Bronze Age: 3rd millennium BC (approximate dates shown). The earliest written literature dates from about 2600 BC (classical Sumerian). The earliest literary author known by name is Enheduanna, a Sumerian priestess and public figure dating to ca. 24th century BC.
Certain literary texts are difficult to date, such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which was recorded in the Papyrus of Ani around 1240 BC, but other versions of the book probably date from about the 18th century BC.
2600: Sumerian texts from Abu Salabikh, including the Instructions of Shuruppak and the Kesh temple hymn
2600: Egyptian The Life of Metjen, from Saqqara
2500: Egyptian Diary of Merer (Oldest papyrus), Instruction of Hardjedef
2500: Sumerian Hymn to Enlil and Enlil and Ninlil
2500: Sumerian Debate between sheep and grain
2400: Sumerian Code of Urukagina
2375: Egyptian The Maxims of Ptahhotep
2323: Egyptian Pyramid Texts, including the Cannibal Hymn
2283: Egyptian Palermo stone
2270: Sumerian Enheduanna's Hymns
2250: Egyptian Autobiography of Weni
2250–2000: Earliest Sumerian stories in the Epic of Gilgamesh
2200: Egyptian Autobiography of Harkhuf
2125: Sumerian Building of Ningirsu's Temple
2100: Sumerian Curse of Agade
2100: Sumerian Debate between Bird and Fish
2100: Sumerian Inanna's Descent into the Underworld
2100: Sumerian Self-praise of Shulgi
2100: Sumerian Code of Ur-Nammu and the Song of the hoe
2050: Egyptian The Satire of the Trades
2000: Egyptian Coffin Texts and Teaching for King Merykara
2000: Sumerian Lament for Ur and Lament for Sumer and Ur
2000: Sumerian Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta
2000: Sumerian Debate between Winter and Summer
Middle Bronze Age: ca.
Official source
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