A post on Amusing Planet describes a 5,000 year old clay tablet that may have the oldest recorded name in history. The cuneiform tablet appears to describe a transaction by which barley was sold to a brewery. In the corner of the tablet are two symbols that collectively form the word Kushim (KU-SIM). Was this the person who delivered the barley or received it? The person’s job title or the name of the brewery? Of course, we can only guess, but if this is the name of an individual, it would be the oldest known artifact documenting a person’s name. The article also suggests some other candidates for world’s oldest recorded names.
Who was Kushim? What forces might this newly discovered name unlock? Who would want to reveal or conceal this information? What happens next?
