The World's Oldest Joke Is a Fart Joke

While the ancient Sumerians are credited with inventing writing, building the first cities, and developing complex legal codes, their clay tablets also preserved something far more relatable: their sense of humor. Etched in cuneiform from around 1900 BC is what researchers have identified as the world's oldest recorded joke. It’s a simple one-liner that takes a playful jab at newlywed life, stating that a young woman has never, since the beginning of time, refrained from passing gas on her husband's lap.

This brief piece of wit offers a fascinating glimpse into the domestic lives and social norms of Mesopotamia nearly 4,000 years ago. The humor works by subverting expectations of polite, newly-married decorum, suggesting that certain undignified human realities are simply unavoidable. It demonstrates that the core of comedy—pointing out the absurdity of social rules or the universality of embarrassing moments—is a deeply ingrained part of the human experience. This ancient joke serves as a powerful reminder that the people of the past were not just historical figures, but complex individuals who laughed at the same kinds of crude, simple things that still make us chuckle today.