Ancient document

In the law of evidence, an ancient document is a document old enough that it can be treated as authentic without live witness testimony about how it was created, because its age makes it unlikely to have been fabricated in anticipation of the case in which it is now offered. The doctrine serves two separate purposes: it authenticates a document as genuine, and under a related hearsay exception it can allow the document's contents to be admitted as proof of what they state. Under the Federal Rules of Evidence, a writing qualifies as an ancient document if it is at least twenty years old, is in a condition that does not raise suspicion about its authenticity, and was found in a place where such a document would reasonably be expected to be kept, though individual states often apply stricter tests or limit the doctrine to specific categories such as property deeds and wills. Treating a document as ancient only presumes it is what it claims to be, not that its contents are true, and jurors remain free to decide whether its author was mistaken or dishonest. Under Federal Rule of Evidence 803(16), documents prepared before January 1, 1998 can be admitted for the truth of their contents under this exception, though many states confine that broader use to property-related records.