Obscure Box

Research for a UK television channel Dave has uncovered what is thought to be the world's oldest joke.

The University of Wolverhampton is crediting the gag to the Sumerian people who lived in what is now southern Iraq.

And it's a fart joke, according to "World's oldest joke traced back to 1900 BC" (Thursday 31 July 2008) from Reuters.

"Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap."

Okay, not the funniest joke but at least it shows that fart jokes have been around for almost 3,000 years.

I prefer the 1600 BC joke about a pharaoh, said to be King Snofru.

"How do you entertain a bored pharaoh? You sail a boatload of young women dressed only in fishing nets down the Nile and urge the pharaoh to go catch a fish."

No mention of any ancient Australian joke in the top 10 from the university.