Papermaking

Papyrus paper was made in single sheets and in long scrolls. Our word "paper" comes from the Egyptian word pa-pe-yo, "that [plant] of the Nile."

The papyrus plant (Cyperous papyrus) grew in great quantities in the Nile shallows and in the swamps and wetlands surrounding the river, especially in the Delta. Papyrus was a forerunner of paper, although unlike true paper (which was invented by the Chinese), it is a laminated material (made in layers).

Trusting to their amulets and magical spells, harvesters waded into crocodile-infested wetlands to gather it for the paper upon which their bureaucratic government depended. When demand increased, they grew papyrus as a crop.

Egyptian papyrus makers cut the triangular papyrus stalks into thin strips, which they softened by soaking in muddy water. They then layered the flattened strips horizontally and vertically into a kind of mat, and pounded them together into a thin laminate. Finally, they smoothed and polished the papyrus with a stone or bone. The result was a smooth,

Portable, lightweight, inexpensive, and reasonably durable writing surface that took ink rapidly and well. Egyptians were already making papyrus by 4000 b. c.e., and the oldest written papyrus rolls are 5,000 years old. Because the papyrus plant was common in Egypt and rare elsewhere, papyrus was, for a long time, an Egyptian monopoly. It was coveted all over the known world. Throughout the dynastic era and after, papyrus was one of Egypt's chief exports. The availability of Egyptian papyrus helped encourage the development and advance of writing in many cultures around the Mediterranean.

Papyrus fell out of use by the ninth century C. E., replaced by more elegant (and much more expensive) parchment. The cost and scarcity of parchment put the written word out of the reach of most people—even educated people.

Just as papyrus was readily available to every Egyptian who could read and write, today inexpensive paper is easily available to all. The average American uses about 700 pounds of paper products each year. Ironically, papyrus is no longer grown in Egypt.