25 Oldest Things in the World

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

11. Written Piece of Music
> Oldest: Hurrian Hymn No. 6
> Approximate Date: 2,000-1,400 B.C.
> Location: Ugarit, Syria

The oldest known written piece of music is titled “Hurrian Hymn No. 6,” an ode to the goddess Nikkal, that was created in 1,400 B.C. and found in the ancient Syrian city of Ugarit. The song was inscribed on clay tablets in cuneiform. Accompanying the song were instructions on how to play it on a lyre. Before the discovery of the hymn in the 1950s, music historians had believed the music scale was only about as old as the ancient Greeks.

Source: Courtesy of Anadolu Agency

12. Shipwreck
> Oldest: Port of Urla Wreck
> Approximate Date: 2,000 B.C.
> Location: Izmir, Turkey

Experts believe the world’s oldest shipwreck was found at Turkey’s Urla Port. The ship is estimated to be about 4,000 years old. The discovery was made by archaeologists from Ankara University in 2014. The port dates to the seventh century B.C., and because it was a coastal town, it is the site for many other sunken ships. An earthquake in the eighth century devastated the city, and it sank into the sea.

Source: Courtesy of National Geographic, Ancient Egyptians / Wikimedia Commons

13. Religious Text
> Oldest: Egyptian Book of the Dead
> Approximate Date: 2670 – 2613 BC
> Location: Egypt

The Egyptian Book of the Dead was a set of instructions for deceased Egyptians to navigate through the tests they would encounter in the various stages of the afterlife. The paintings and texts were first found in tombs associated with Egypt’s Third Dynasty and date back more than 4,600 years. The book eventually became extremely popular, and individuals who fell ill would often commission their own copy. One completed copy was measured at more than 40 feet long.

Source: Rick Goldwaser / Wikimedia Commons

14. Tree
> Oldest: White Mountains Bristlecone Pine
> Approximate Date: 3050 B.C.
> Location: White Mountains, California

Scientists recently discovered that the oldest single tree in the world is 5,067 years old as of the 2017 growing season. The tree is a Bristlecone Pine, found in White Mountains, California. It beats the previous record holder named Methuselah, which is located nearby. While the general location is known, the precise spot is a secret to keep the tree safe.

Source: Courtesy of BBC News

15. Food
> Oldest: Neolithic Burnt Bread
> Approximate Date: 3,620-3,350 B.C.
> Location: Oxfordshire, England

The oldest food is not found in a college fraternity refrigerator but is believed to be a piece of burnt bread found in Oxfordshire, England. Originally, the 5,500-year old overcooked bread was thought to be charcoal. Then an archaeologist found crushed grains of barley, indicating that those inhabiting what would become England were practicing farming during the Neolithic era.