Is this the oldest book in the world? An observant expert recently stumbled upon a fragment of what is believed to be the world’s oldest book. Conservator Theresa Zammi Lupi discovered a notebook page from ancient Egypt, dating back to the third century BC, while examining a collection at an Austrian library. This discovery is significant because it is 400 years older than previously thought. The fragment was initially part of a codex manuscript, but it is speculated that the same papyrus material was later repurposed to wrap a mummy. The page was excavated 120 years ago at the burial site of El Hiba, located 300 miles away from Tutankhamun’s tomb. It was not until this month, during routine examinations, that the true backstory of the fragment was realized. Zammi Lupi came across the book page while assessing their collection of papyrus for storage and repairs. The fragment exhibits a central fold, stitching holes, and clearly defined margins with written text, resembling the format of a book. Ancient civilizations, such as the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, used papyrus as a form of paper. Researchers believe this specific page was originally used to record tax accounts for beer and oil. It was eventually recycled to wrap a mummy, alongside other materials like linen, between 305 and 330 BC. Although the excavation took place in Egypt, the writing on the page is in Greek, which was widely used alongside Egyptian at the time. This remarkable find, nicknamed the “Graz Mummy Book,” surpasses the previously thought oldest books by 400 years. The two oldest known books, housed at London’s British Library and the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, are dated between 150 and 250 AD. According to Erich Renhart and Thomas Csanády, who oversee the library’s special collections, the Graz Mummy Book is the oldest surviving form of a book known to date. However, they suggest that there may be more codex fragments like this in other collections yet to be systematically searched. Papyrus was a relatively cheap material, and numerous fragments have survived over time. As a result of this discovery, the library plans to conduct further research in this area. International specialists will convene in Graz later this year to discuss the fragment and the insights gained from it. Zammi Lupi, the conservator who made the discovery, expressed her excitement at being able to contribute to the history of the book and describes the experience as surreal.
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