The First Fart Joke Dates Back 4,000 Years

There is an ill-defined line separating low brow and highbrow comedy in the world of humor. Some individuals like to believe that some humor is beneath them. That they lack elegance and are of low class. But as history has seen, crude comedy endures. Fart jokes were also used by Shakespeare, Chaucer, Mark Twain, and Samuel Beckett. People laughed at the same things that make us laugh now as far back as 1900 BC. The first fart joke was told at that time.

The oldest joke in history—and the oldest fart joke in particular—comes from ancient Sumeria. The words "Something which has never occurred from time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap" were inscribed on a stone tablet. You can now take a moment to wipe the tears of laughter from your eyes and slap your knee. The joke's central theme appears to be the quip that "women don't fart," which we can now recognize has been around for 4,000 years. You are welcome to utilize it as your upcoming icebreaker.