In 1897 and 1903 three ancient fragments from Greek versions of the Gospel of Thomas were discovered during archeological excavations on the site of an ancient library at Oxyrhynchus, Egypt (a project that eventually recovered over 5000 fragments of ancient Greek texts once present in the library). The three papyrus fragments of Thomas apparently date to between 130 - 250 CE, and each probably represents a separate unique copy of the Gospel. The textual source of the sayings contained in the fragments was initially unclear; based on the logion found in pOxy 654 – now identified as containing the prologue and first saying – it was speculated they might represent remains of the lost Gospel of Thomas.
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/thomas_poxy.htm
Even within the period that runs from c. A.D. 100-300 it is possible for paleographers to be more specific on the relative date of the papyrus manuscripts of the New Testament. For about sixty years now a tiny papyrus fragment of the Gospel of John has been the oldest "manuscript" of the New Testament. This manuscript (P52) has generally been dated to ca. A.D. 125. This fact alone proved that the original Gospel of John was written earlier, viz. in the first century A.D., as had always been upheld by conservative scholars.
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/papyrus ... ripts.html