The epic was written in cuneiform script on clay tablets, which is just a fancy way of saying "it was written in a language that's really hard to read". The tablets were discovered in the ruins of the Library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh, which is now modern-day Mosul in Iraq. It's like finding an old bookshelf in your attic, but instead of dusty old novels, it's filled with ancient tablets!
Now, you might be thinking, "But wait, if we don't know who wrote it, how do we know it's 4,000 years old?" Well, it's all about the dating game - archaeologists have used various methods to date the tablets, including radioactive dating and stylistic analysis. It's like trying to figure out how old a pair of jeans is based on the style and the material - except instead of jeans, it's ancient tablets!
One of the most surprising facts about The Epic of Gilgamesh is that it's influenced so many other works of literature - from Homer's Odyssey to the Bible. It's like the grandfather of all literary works! And yet, despite its huge influence, the author's name has been lost to the ages - it's like they're the ghostwriter of ancient Mesopotamia!
The Epic of Gilgamesh | Stephen Mitchell | Full Audiobook - YouTube
