ACTUALLY TRUE
One of the oldest known personal names may belong to an accountant.
Why this sounds fake
We expect the earliest preserved name to belong to a ruler, not someone tied to ordinary records.
The first name we know sounds like it should belong to a king, warrior, or priest. Instead, one of the earliest surviving personal names is Kushim, connected to accounting records from ancient Uruk about 5,000 years ago. The tablets deal with transactions, including barley, not epic deeds. Some scholars note Kushim could be a title rather than a personal name, but the possible story is wonderfully ordinary: writing preserved paperwork before fame. Early writing was practical before it was heroic, and that is what makes the name memorable. Civilization kept receipts before legends.
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