* Pre-literate societies: Storytelling existed long before writing was invented. Oral traditions passed down stories through generations, but these stories were not recorded.
* Ancient writing: The oldest known written texts are often religious or administrative in nature, not narratives.
* Lost works: Even if we had access to every ancient text, many stories written early on would have been lost to time, destruction, or simply lack of preservation.
However, we can point to some early contenders for the title of "first story":
* The Epic of Gilgamesh (c. 2100 BCE): This Mesopotamian epic poem is considered one of the oldest surviving pieces of literature, telling the tale of a king's quest for immortality.
* The Tale of Sinuhe (c. 1900 BCE): This Egyptian story follows the account of a high official who flees to the land of the Retenu after a power struggle.
* The Mahabhrata (c. 400 BCE): This Indian epic poem, while written much later, contains stories that were likely passed down orally for centuries before being compiled.
Ultimately, the question of the first story is more about the evolution of storytelling itself than finding a specific starting point. Stories have been fundamental to human culture for millennia, passed down through generations and evolving over time.