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Coventina

(28,589 posts) Fri Aug 22, 2025, 01:08 AM Aug 22

Coventina's History Thread: Where does paper come from?

Paper, as we know it today, is a Chinese invention.

However, I'll get to that in a future thread.

Today, I want to talk about the ancient paper-precursor: Papyrus!

Papyrus, as invented and made in ancient Egypt, predates paper by about 3000 years!

We even call "paper" "paper" because it comes from papyrus!

Ancient Egyptians developed it by hammering strips of the papyrus plant into a unified sheet for writing. The Egyptians even sold it to the Greeks and Romans until around 300 BCE. With their papyrus supply cut off, Greeks and Romans turned to parchment, which is made from the skins of a variety of animals. (More on parchment at a later date as well).

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8 replies

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Coventina's History Thread: Where does paper come from? (Original Post) Coventina Aug 22 OP

Thank you! niyad Aug 22 #1

went to a paper making workshop once. easy to see why it was so valuable in the early days nt msongs Aug 22 #2

Ty. I think I did paper making workshop, too, decades ago. electric_blue68 Aug 22 #3

Thank you for these interesting posts! FemDemERA Aug 22 #4

A lot of papyrus shops in Siracusa, Sicily, when I visited nuxvomica Aug 22 #5

Thanks, great mini history info. Fla Dem Aug 22 #6

I've Been To A Few Papermills ProfessorGAC Aug 22 #7

I also then watched a video on papyrus. Very cool... electric_blue68 Aug 22 #8

niyad

(126,470 posts)

1. Thank you!

Reply to Coventina (Original post)

Fri Aug 22, 2025, 02:10 AM

Aug 22

msongs

(72,205 posts)

2. went to a paper making workshop once. easy to see why it was so valuable in the early days nt

Reply to Coventina (Original post)

Fri Aug 22, 2025, 02:32 AM

Aug 22

electric_blue68

(23,508 posts)

3. Ty. I think I did paper making workshop, too, decades ago.

Reply to Coventina (Original post)

Fri Aug 22, 2025, 02:55 AM

Aug 22

FemDemERA

(563 posts)

4. Thank you for these interesting posts!

Reply to Coventina (Original post)

Fri Aug 22, 2025, 08:20 AM

Aug 22

nuxvomica

(13,583 posts)

5. A lot of papyrus shops in Siracusa, Sicily, when I visited

Reply to Coventina (Original post)

Fri Aug 22, 2025, 08:25 AM

Aug 22

It was growing wild everywhere. I bought a portrait of Archimedes on papyrus.

Fla Dem

(27,020 posts)

6. Thanks, great mini history info.

Reply to Coventina (Original post)

Fri Aug 22, 2025, 09:02 AM

Aug 22

ProfessorGAC

(74,133 posts)

7. I've Been To A Few Papermills

Reply to Coventina (Original post)

Fri Aug 22, 2025, 06:31 PM

Aug 22

Very loud, very steamy, and an unpleasant fragrance.
But, it's impressive to watch the machinery!
A couple of those sites made the Kraft paper used for cardboard.
(I was working on surfactant systems to accelerate the dewatering of the pulp so less energy was needed to dry the moisture.)

electric_blue68

(23,508 posts)

8. I also then watched a video on papyrus. Very cool...

Reply to Coventina (Original post)

Fri Aug 22, 2025, 10:43 PM

Aug 22

showed flattened reed woven together before either pounding, or putting through a mechanical flattener.

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