Quick Answer: History of Brain Teaser Puzzles at a Glance Era Puzzle Type Key Example Significance Mesopotamia, c. 2300 BCE Rebus (word‑symbol puzzle) Clay tablet with cuneiform rebus Earliest known brain teaser; direct evidence of lateral thinking and wordplay in ancient civilizations Ancient Greece, 3rd century BCE Dissection puzzle Archimedes’ Stomachion (14 geometric pieces) Predates tangrams by 1,800 years; used […]










