A book thought to be the oldest surviving printed book in the
world has gone on display at the British Library. The book bears
the date of 868 AD The Diamond Sutra, which bears the date 868
AD, was found in a walled-up cave in Dunhuang, north-west China,
in 1907, along with other printed items. It consists of a scroll
of grey paper printed with Chinese characters, wrapped around a
wooden pole. The scroll forms part of the Library's Silk Road
display, which focuses on the art and culture of the region. It
was discovered by the Hungarian born explorer Sir Marc Aurel
Stein, and is thought to be part of a library which was walled
up in the cave around the year 1000AD. Although other printed
items and manuscripts were discovered in the cave, the Diamond
Sutra, which is a Buddhist Holy text, is the earliest printed
book to bear a date. "Sutras were copied to give merit to people
and to all sentient beings in the world," said Susan Whitfield
from the British Library. "This was copied by a man called Wong
Jei, in May