Ancient literature

Before the spread of writing, oral literature did not always survive well, though some texts and fragments have persisted. August Nitschke  sees some fairy tales as literary survivals dating back to Ice Age and Stone Age narrators. Before the spread of writing, oral literature did not always survive well, though some texts and fragments have persisted. August Nitschke  sees some fairy tales as literary survivals dating back to Ice Age and Stone Age narrators. Early Bronze Age: 3rd millennium BC (approximate dates shown). The earliest written literature dates from about 2600 BC (classical Sumerian). The earliest literary author known by name is Enheduanna, a Sumerian priestess and public figure dating to ca. the 24th century BC. Certain literary texts are difficult to date, such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which was recorded in the Papyrus of Ani around 1240 BC, but other versions of the book probably date from about the 18th century BC. Middle Bronze Age: ca. 2000 to 1600 BC (approximate dates shown) Late Bronze Age: ca. 1600 to 1200 BC (approximate dates shown) Iron Age texts predating Classical Antiquity: 12th to 8th centuries BC 8th century BC 7th century BC 6th century BC 5th century BC