Centuries of conflict between the civilisations of Persia and Greece are chiefly captured through elaborate drinking vessels in this lively – and occasionally puzzling – show<br>
By: Eric Baxter | Updated: Mar 15, 2021 The book believed to be world s oldest mulitpage book contains six bound sheets of 24-carat gold, with illustrations of a mermaid, horse-rider, harp and soldiers. Ivorrusev/CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia
At Bulgaria s National Museum of History, there lives a book comprising six pages of beaten 24-carat gold covered with Etruscan script, one of the few writing systems scholars have yet to decipher. It features illustrations of a horse-rider, a mermaid, a harp and soldiers [source: BBC News].
According to reports, the book, exhibited in 2003, was estimated at about 2,500 years old. It was found along the Strouma River in southwestern Bulgaria in an old tomb, and was donated to the museum by the finder, who remained anonymous. Its age and authenticity were confirmed by two independent scientists, whose names also remain unknown.