Code on distributed systems may live long into the future, etchings on a ledger, similarly revealing our human tendencies — Intrigue of the Ancients The earliest contracts in human history may be from thousands of years ago, in ancient Mesopotamia. Here’s an example of a real-estate transaction containing many familiar ideas: Sini-Ishtar, the son of Ilu-eribu, and Apil-Ili, his brother, have bought one third Shar of land with a house constructed, next the house…