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August 01, 2008
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Friday
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Rajab 28, 1429
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Oldest joke traced back to 1900BC
By John Joseph
LONDON: The world’s oldest recorded joke has been traced back to 1900 BC and suggests toilet humour was as popular with the ancients as it is today.
The joke which heads the world’s oldest top 10 joke list published by the University of Wolverhampton on Thursday, is a saying of the Sumerians.
A 1600 BC gag about a pharaoh, said to be King Snofru, comes second. The oldest British joke dates back to the 10th Century and reveals the bawdy face of the Anglo-Saxons.
“Jokes have varied over the years, with some taking the question and answer format while others are witty proverbs or riddles,” said the report’s writer Dr Paul McDonald, senior lecturer at the university.
“What they all share however, is a willingness to deal with taboos and a degree of rebellion.”
The study was commissioned by television channel Dave.
—Reuters
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