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More than 4,000 years ago, a woman named Enheduanna lived in ancient Mesopotamia.
She was a high priestess and composed religious poetry and hymns in Sumerian.
Her writings are particularly important because she is widely regarded as the earliest known author whose name is recorded and connected to her works.
That makes her different from many surviving ancient texts whose creators remain anonymous.
Her works included hymns dedicated to temples and the goddess Inanna.
Enheduanna lived centuries before famous ancient writers such as Homer.
So the earliest named author known to literary history wasn't a Greek philosopher or medieval writer—it was a Mesopotamian woman.
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art