The first name we know
Until writing developed in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), there was no record of people's names.
The first person in history whose name we know is 'Kushim', an accountant.
Around 3200BC he signed a receipt on a clay tablet which read "29,086 measures barley 37 months Kushim".
Bonus Bubblegum
The barley referred to in the clay tablet receipt almost certainly became an ingredient in beer.
Mesopotamia is the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now modern Iraq.
The term 'Mesopotamia' is Greek and means 'between two rivers'. 'Meso', meaning middle, 'pot' meaning water (as in 'potable', or 'hippopotamus' = water horse). The suffix 'amia' refers to a region or country.
Read more
Who’s the First Person in History Whose Name We Know? from National Geographic
Image credits: Rosemaniakos from Bejing
