While carrying out routine work at the University of Graz in Austria, Maltese restorer Theresa Zammit Lupi made the discovery of a lifetime after she discovered what is claimed to be the oldest book fragment known to humanity. 

The papyrus fragment in an Egyptian one that dates all the way back to third century B.C!

It was originally found in 1902 in the encasement of the mummy but now the talented Maltese conservator noticed traces of binding alongside the fragment that indicate that it was actually part of a larger book.

Before this revelation from Theresa Zammit Lupi, the earliest known fragments of book dated to 150-250 AD, which means they are actually 400 years younger that the fragments the Maltese researcher found.

According to Graz University “the find will presumably push the scientifically accepted timeline of book history forward”.

“I never imagined that something like this could ever happen in my career”, Theresa expressed.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m the Indiana Jones of the University of Graz”, she jokingly continued.

Congratulations on this amazing find!

YouTube/unigraz