The histories of so many civilizations seem to run back to a vague record of "___ People, of the ___Land." Most interesting to me is when the characteristics of those people are described.
What's the earliest known attempt at describing a foreign culture?
Herodotus' The Histories (440 BC) are likely not the oldest, but are likely the most accessible. Much of the text gives ethnographic details of peoples he encountered or heard about second-hand during his travels. Great read.