Egyptian Papyrus
Papyrus sheet.
Website: The Papyri Pages
Papyrus, from which
we get the modern word paper, is a writing material made from the
papyrus plant, a reed which grows in the marshy areas around the Nile
river. Papyrus, however, is only one of
the predecessors of paper that together are known by the generic term
‘tapa’ and are mostly made from the inner bark of paper mulberry, fig,
and daphne. Papyrus was used as
a writing material as early as 3,000 BC in ancient Egypt, and continued
to be used to some extent until around 1100 AD.
Two thousand years ago, papyrus making was a booming industry, and papyrus was made by highly skilled craftsmen working with a specially cultivated strain of papyrus that was bred to produce a high quality writing material.
Pliny's Natural History outlined the process of ancient papyrus making. Papyrus sheets were made by arranging two layers of papyrus, one atop the other, at right angles. The layers were then pressed together, and the gum released by the breakdown of the plant's cellular structure acts as a glue which bonds the sheet together.
In ancient times, several sheets of papyrus were joined end to end to form a roll. These rolls could be 100 feet or more in length, and were the common form of papyrus in the ancient world. The ancient library of Alexandria was home to thousands of papyrus rolls containing the literary works of ancient authors.
Chinese Paper
Paper as we know it was first made in China in 105 A.D. A courtier named Ts'ai-Lun from Lei-yang has been credited with inventing paper. Ts'ai-Lun made his paper from the bark of mulberry trees and rags. The bark and rags were mixed with water and mashed into a pulp. The liquid was pressed out of the pulp and the thin mat was laid to dry in the sun.
The invention of paper was one of the greatest revolutions in communication. The innovation of paper led to the invention of paper money, kites, wallpaper, and even toilet paper. Ideas recorded on paper spread throughout the world. New cultures could study the theories of generations that came before them because these theories were recorded on paper.
Two thousand years ago, papyrus making was a booming industry, and papyrus was made by highly skilled craftsmen working with a specially cultivated strain of papyrus that was bred to produce a high quality writing material.
Pliny's Natural History outlined the process of ancient papyrus making. Papyrus sheets were made by arranging two layers of papyrus, one atop the other, at right angles. The layers were then pressed together, and the gum released by the breakdown of the plant's cellular structure acts as a glue which bonds the sheet together.
In ancient times, several sheets of papyrus were joined end to end to form a roll. These rolls could be 100 feet or more in length, and were the common form of papyrus in the ancient world. The ancient library of Alexandria was home to thousands of papyrus rolls containing the literary works of ancient authors.
Chinese Paper
Paper as we know it was first made in China in 105 A.D. A courtier named Ts'ai-Lun from Lei-yang has been credited with inventing paper. Ts'ai-Lun made his paper from the bark of mulberry trees and rags. The bark and rags were mixed with water and mashed into a pulp. The liquid was pressed out of the pulp and the thin mat was laid to dry in the sun.
The invention of paper was one of the greatest revolutions in communication. The innovation of paper led to the invention of paper money, kites, wallpaper, and even toilet paper. Ideas recorded on paper spread throughout the world. New cultures could study the theories of generations that came before them because these theories were recorded on paper.
Author's Note:
Since papyrus and Chinese paper occurred during the same period (Antiquity), I decided to combine them in one episode. Both are important to the history of paper. I found a lot of information in the sources. I paraphrased the information. I thought it was important to include the names, dates, and methods for manufacturing paper and papyrus, so I put the information in my own words. I summed up my interpretation in the last paragraph. These innovations were important to science because ideas could be spread much easier than with clay tablets.
Chinese Inventions and Remedies
I used an image from this site as well as information.
Bostock, John and H.T. Riley. "The Natural History of Pliny". Gaius Plinius Secundus Historia Naturalis
This is an online translation of Pliny's Natural History.
Bernhardt, Theodore. "Welcome to the Papyri Pages". The Papyri Pages
I used the image from this page. It has several links to pages with information about papyrus and the manufacturing process.
Sara Miller
email
Web Project
Since papyrus and Chinese paper occurred during the same period (Antiquity), I decided to combine them in one episode. Both are important to the history of paper. I found a lot of information in the sources. I paraphrased the information. I thought it was important to include the names, dates, and methods for manufacturing paper and papyrus, so I put the information in my own words. I summed up my interpretation in the last paragraph. These innovations were important to science because ideas could be spread much easier than with clay tablets.
Chinese Inventions and Remedies
I used an image from this site as well as information.
Bostock, John and H.T. Riley. "The Natural History of Pliny". Gaius Plinius Secundus Historia Naturalis
This is an online translation of Pliny's Natural History.
Bernhardt, Theodore. "Welcome to the Papyri Pages". The Papyri Pages
I used the image from this page. It has several links to pages with information about papyrus and the manufacturing process.
Sara Miller
Web Project