The oldest known written language is Sumerian. Originating in ancient Mesopotamia, Sumerian was first recorded around 3100 BCE in cuneiform script on clay tablets. The Sumerians used this language for administration, literature, and communication across their society, documenting everything from trade transactions to religious texts. Although Sumerian ceased to be a spoken language around the 2nd millennium BCE, it continued to be used as a literary and scholarly language until the first century CE. Its discovery has provided valuable insights into early civilization and the development of written communication.