Ancient literature comprises religious and scientific documents, tales, poetry and plays, royal edicts and declarations, and other forms of writing that were recorded on a variety of media, including stone, clay tablets, papyri, palm leaves, and metal. Before the spread of writing, oral literature did not always survive well, but some texts and fragments have persisted. One can conclude that an unknown number of written works too have likely not survived the ravages of time and are therefore lost.
Incomplete list of ancient texts
Bronze Age
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. 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. 2600: Sumerian texts from Abu Salabikh, including the Instructions of Shuruppak and the Kesh temple hymn 2600: Egyptian The Life of Metjen, from Saqqara 2500: Egyptian Diary of Merer (Oldest papyrus), Instruction of Hardjedef 2500: Sumerian Hymn to Enlil and Enlil and Ninlil 2500: Sumerian Debate between sheep and grain 2400: Sumerian Code of Urukagina 2375: Egyptian The Maxims of Ptahhotep 2323: Egyptian Pyramid Texts, including the Cannibal Hymn 2283: Egyptian Palermo stone 2270: Sumerian Enheduanna's Hymns 2250: Egyptian Autobiography of Weni 2250–2000: Earliest Sumerian stories in the Epic of Gilgamesh 2200: Egyptian Autobiography of Harkhuf 2125: Sumerian Building of Ningirsu's Temple 2100: Sumerian Curse of Agade 2100: Sumerian Debate between Bird and Fish 2100: Sumerian Inanna's Descent into the Underworld 2100: Sumerian Self-praise of Shulgi 2100: Sumerian Code of Ur-Nammu and the Song of the hoe 2050: Egyptian The Satire of the Trades 2000: Egyptian Coffin Texts and Teaching for King Merykara 2000: Sumerian Lament for Ur and Lament for Sumer and Ur 2000: Sumerian Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta 2000: Sumerian Debate between Winter and Summer
Middle Bronze Age: ca. 2000 to 1600 BC (approximate dates shown) 2000–1900: Egyptian Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor, the Prophecy of Neferti, and the first of the Harper's Songs 1950: Akkadian Laws of Eshnunna and Hymn to Ištar 1950: Egyptian Instructions of Amenemhat, the Akhmim wooden tablets, and the Heqanakht papyri 1940: Sumerian Correspondence of the Kings of Ur 1900: Akkadian Legend of Etana 1900: Sumerian Code of Lipit-Ishtar and The Legend of Adapa 1900: Egyptian Instructions of Kagemni 1900: Akkadian Summa izbu and Šumma ālu 1900: Akkadian Namburbi 1900: Akkadian Iškar Zaqīqu 1859–1840: Egyptian The Eloquent Peasant 1859–1840: Egyptian Story of Sinuhe (in Hieratic) 1859–1840: Egyptian Dispute between a man and his Ba 1859–1813: Egyptian Loyalist Teaching 1850: Akkadian Kultepe texts, Bārûtu, the Counsels of Wisdom, the Cuthean Legend of Naram-Sin, the Iškar Zaqīqu, and the Labbu Myth 1800: Akkadian Enûma Eliš 1800: Sumerian Correspondence of the Kings of Ur 1800: Egyptian Berlin Papyrus 6619 and the Moscow Mathematical Papyrus 1780: Akkadian Mari letters, including the Epic of Zimri-Lim 1754: Akkadian Code of Hammurabi stele 1750: Hittite Anitta text 1750: Akkadian Agushaya Hymn 1700: Akkadian Atra-Hasis epic 1700: Egyptian Westcar Papyrus 1700: Akkadian Epic of Gilgamesh 1650: Egyptian Ipuwer Papyrus and the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus 1650: Sumerian Dialogue between a Man and His God 1600: Akkadian Eridu Genesis and Enuma Anu Enlil 1600: Egyptian Edwin Smith Papyrus