The Derveni Papyrus, which is regarded as the oldest “book” in Europe, has been nominated for inclusion in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.
The ancient document was discovered in 1962 in Derveni, Thessaloniki in an ancient funeral pyre. Despite having been partly burnt, it was restored and exhibited in the Archeological Museum of Thessaloniki.
The papyrus, which is dated to around 340 BC, contains commentary on an Orphic poem and discusses the birth of the gods in the ancient Greek religion. As such, the document is widely regarded as the greatest evidence of Greek philosophy and religion since the Renaissance.
