Courier Messenger Service Since Egyptian Times

Egyptian packages didn’t look anything like this.

The Egyptians were known for being pioneers in a number of areas, including the study of mathematics and the formation of a written language, but did you know that Ancient Egypt was also the first civilization to use a courier messenger service? Historians believe that the first organized messenger service dates back to approximately 2400 B.C., in an era when couriers were employed by the pharaohs to hand deliver important messages, news, and laws to people in every corner of the land. The oldest surviving piece of mail is also Egyptian, but it isn’t quite that old, dating back to just 255 B.C.

The sole purpose of the courier service in Ancient Egypt was to link the royals and government officials with military posts scattered throughout the country. Nowadays, the mail system is no longer the exclusive domain of royals, and package delivery is accessible to any individual or business. There are numerous choices available, from same day delivery to international shipping, to accommodate the variety of items shipped to everywhere and anywhere. Even in today’s day and age, however, courier service still remains the delivery option of choice for important documents, letters, or packages that need to be handled with special care.