24 June 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Oldest “Book” of Europe: Derveni Papyrus

The Derveni papyrus is considered Europe’s oldest legible manuscript still in existence today. It is an ancient Greek papyrus roll from the reign of Philip II of Macedon, most likely between 340 and 320 B.C.

The Derveni Papyrus was inscribed on the Memory of the World International Register as the oldest ‘book’ of Europe, following the decision by the International Advisory Committee of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme.

The discovery provides new information about ancient philosophy prior to Socrates and has been hailed as “the most significant new piece of evidence about Greek philosophy and religion to come to light since the Renaissance.”

The history of the text’s discovery and decoding, known as the “Most Ancient Book in Europe,” is almost as interesting as the information it contains. The papyrus was badly charred when it was discovered by chance in Derveni (near Thessalonika), Greece in 1962. It wasn’t until 2006 that the text was decoded, and the allegorical commentary and ancient religious teachings it contained were revealed, raising more questions and sparking controversy.

It was found in 1962 during construction projects close to Derveni, about 10 kilometers from Thessaloniki, and close to a tiny ancient settlement called Lete. The so-called “Derveni tombs,” all but one of which had not been looted, were discovered during the excavations. The carbonized roll was discovered on the slabs that covered Derveni Tomb A, along with other remains from the deceased’s cremation.

Drawing of the interior of Derveni Tomb A, where the Derveni Papyrus was recovered in 1962.
( Themelis and Touratsoglou )

The Derveni Papyrus has been dated between 350 and 320 BC. However, the text contained within could date back to the 5th century BC. The document’s author is unknown, though some scholars suggest Euthyphron of Prospalta, Diagoras of Melos, and Stesimbrotus of Thasos as possible candidates.

Work is a philosophical treatise on the nature of the gods, cosmogony, the theory of the soul, and the nature of religious rituals. According to UNESCO, the text is of global significance, in that it reflects universal human values, such as the need to explain the world, the desire to belong to a human society with known rules, and the agony to confront the end of life.

“The Derveni Papyrus is of immense importance not only for the study of Greek religion and philosophy, which is the basis for western philosophical thought but also because it serves as proof of the early dating of the Orphic poems offering a distinctive version of pre-Socratic philosophers,” UNESCO says about the papyrus.

The papyrus is a key insight into ancient European philosophy and literature – Copyright Orestis Kourakis/Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki archive

According to UNESCO, the Derveni Papyrus, the first book of western tradition is globally influential and reflective of universal human values, which include but are not limited to the need for an explanation of the universe and life in general, the desire for belonging to a community and coming to terms with death.

The Derveni Papyrus now has a total of 26 columns after four more columns were deciphered thanks to technology.

The text is described as follows by the Center for Hellenistic Studies at Harvard University:

“The eschatological teaching of a mantis; the content is divided between religious instructions on sacrifices to gods and souls and allegorical commentary on a theological poem ascribed to Orpheus. The author’s outlook is philosophical, displaying, in particular, a physical system close to those of Anaxagoras, the Atomists, and Diogenes of Apollonia. His allegorical method of interpretation is especially interesting, frequently reminiscent of Socrates’ playful mental and etymological acrobatics as seen in Plato’s Cratylus.”

Related Articles

Aramaic four inscriptions found for the first time in eastern Turkey

17 September 2022

17 September 2022

Four inscriptions written in Aramaic were discovered in the ancient city with a grid plan, located on an area of...

Unique ancient Egyptian amulet seal discovered during archeological excavations in northern Turkey

11 November 2022

11 November 2022

During archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Amastris in the Amasra district of northern Turkey’s Bartın, an enchanted amulet...

More than 50 pairs of tweezers found during an excavation of a 2,000-year-old Roman settlement – Romans to blame for no-body-hair trend

31 May 2023

31 May 2023

More than 50 pairs of tweezers were found during the major excavation in Wroxeter City, Shropshire, one of the largest...

A Stunning Jade mask discovered in tomb of Maya King in Guatemala

28 January 2024

28 January 2024

Archaeologists excavating a looted pyramid tomb in the ruins of a Mayan city in Peten, northeast Guatemala, have discovered a...

Excavations in Haldensleben, Germany Reveal A Lost Settlement

9 November 2024

9 November 2024

Excavations at Haldensleben in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt provide important information about a lost settlement. Since May 2024, the...

Archaeologists discover bones of a woman who lived 14,000 years ago at a site in The Iberian Peninsula

13 August 2021

13 August 2021

Archaeologists have discovered the bones of a lady who lived 14,000 years ago, the earliest traces of a modern burial...

The Old Fisherman Founded the Turkish Sea Creatures Museum

26 March 2021

26 March 2021

The sea gives another life to man, sometimes love, sometimes a disappointment, often a longing. The sea is reminiscent of...

“Non-returning” Aboriginal boomerangs were discovered in Cooper Creek dried-up riverbed

22 November 2021

22 November 2021

The drying waters of the Cooper Creek river have revealed extremely rare 4 boomerangs that have been partially buried. The...

Researchers may have found 3,000-year-old evidence of Yue (Amputation), one of the five punishments practiced in ancient China

4 May 2022

4 May 2022

According to the South China Morning Post, researchers in China believe a skeleton discovered in a tomb in the country’s...

Spanish Water Worker discovered 2,500-Year-Old two Gold Necklaces

14 September 2023

14 September 2023

A worker at a local water company in Spain discovered two gold necklaces thought to date back 2,500 years. Sergio...

New discoveries at the Sanxingdui Ruins demonstrate ancient China’s creative ability

9 September 2021

9 September 2021

Chinese archaeologists revealed fresh important finds at the Sanxingdui Ruins site in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Thursday, from pits...

Zeugma of the Black Sea to be will Restore

8 February 2021

8 February 2021

Hadrianaupolis Antique City is located 3 km west of Eskiyapar district of Karabük. This ancient city has been known as...

Archaeologists uncover Europe’s oldest lakeside stilt village behind a fortress of defensive spikes

11 August 2023

11 August 2023

Under the turquoise waters of Lake Ohrid, the “Pearl of the Balkans” Scientists have uncovered what may be one of...

Hidden Royal Trove of rulers of Poland and Lithuania discovered in the underground vaults of Vilnius Cathedral in Lithuania

17 January 2025

17 January 2025

A unique find was made in the dungeons of the Vilnius Cathedral: The royal funerals of the Polish and Lithuanian...

Archaeologists uncover 850-year-old 170 silver medieval coins in an ancient grave, in Sweden

27 April 2024

27 April 2024

During archaeological excavations in a medieval graveyard in Brahekyrkan on the Swedish island of Visingsö, archaeologists uncovered about 170 silver...