For my 2019 gag, I thought a little coup des mots on the "world's oldest profession" might be fun. Originally published on Homes.com.
New Discovery Suggests Real Estate Is Actually The "New" World's Oldest Profession
2 MIN READ · APRIL 1, 2019
Ancient Cave Paintings Shed Light on Early Real Estate
Last month a team of archaeologists in Peru uncovered what is thought to be one of the oldest cave drawings depicting the commercial exchange of property. The drawings are formed from cochineal (Dactylopius) — an insect known to have lived more than 3,000 years ago — and local indigenous chalk, and depict what scientists say is a prehistoric "agent" trading livestock for a dwelling.
How Old?
Initial carbon dating places the drawings' creation between 20,000–22,000 years ago — not the oldest known (that honour goes to Maros, Indonesia), but the earliest that shows some kind of exchange, far earlier than monetary and financial systems.
Dr. Ramos Philippe, University of Lima, was among the first on the scene. "It is quite extraordinary how these have survived uncovered for so long," he told journalists, "and the scene of the earliest commerce is exciting to understand pre-Inca trade in this area of South America."
What Do They Show?
The University released an overlay diagram emphasizing the dwelling, its new resident, a "trading icon" talisman, and the selling "agent" leaving the scene with three animals — most likely representing a percentage of commission, in both a symbolic and value-of-exchange sense.
What's Next?
"I am certain there are other treasures to uncover," Philippe added, optimistically. "Who knows if it stopped at real estate-like buying and selling? Perhaps there were cave inspectors and rudimentary mortgage negotiations too." Both the National Geographic Foundation and Smithsonian Institute indicated they'd send teams to investigate further — after the first of April's holidays.
