Lately, I have been keeping closer track of the money I have been spending. Part of this is pocketing all of the receipts that are offered to me. But I wonder if receipts have always been a thing that has been around or if they are a newer more modern invention and way of keeping track of the movement of money amongst parties. This becomes a thought now especially as receipts are beginning to become more and more digital. 

The oldest ever receipt that has ever been found was a piece of clay that signified the trade of five sheep, one lamb, and four grass-fed male kids. These kinds of receipts are said to be dated around 7500 bc.  The trade was made to a man named Alulu. However, these things were also easily lost. They were one inch by one inch, half an inch thick. This concept then spread to Egypt, where there was now papyrus and so this became the new medium for these receipts. There have been receipts found from this time using this medium. 

There has long been the existence of receipts but their medium has changed over time and so has their popularity. We find in this modern day and age, a shift towards the medium of technology as we find ourselves often doing with so many other things in our technologically driven existence. 

Sources

• https://blog.abacus.com/a-brief-history-of-receipts-by-frank-addessi/ 

https://www.able-systems.com/blog/five-facts-you-didnt-know-about-receipts/#:~:text=Heading%20back%20to%20around%207500,represent%20the%20completion%20of%20trade.