The World’s Oldest Recorded Joke

Humans have been laughing at flatulence since the dawn of recorded history. The oldest known joke, found on a Sumerian tablet from 1900 BC, features a woman passing gas in her husband's lap.

This ancient humor proves that our sense of comedy hasn't evolved much over four thousand years. Researchers believe this off-color behavior is a universal human trait that transcends language and geography. Even among the serious scholars of the ancient world, a well-timed gassy punchline was still enough to get a laugh. It remains one of the most enduring and relatable forms of comedy in existence today.