HistoryCirca 3200 BC (Late Uruk period)Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq)high confidence

Uruk was the site of the earliest known writing, dating to about 3200 B.C.

Notes on verification

Well-corroborated by multiple high-quality independent sources (Met Museum, Britannica, Archaeology Magazine, World History Encyclopedia, Wikipedia). Minor scholarly debate exists over exact dating (some argue for 3350-3300 BC), but the core claim aligns with widely cited consensus.

Sources