The Invention of Paper

In as early as 3000 B.C., the Egyptians had developed a technique for making paper from the pith of the papyrus plant. This particular plant flourished along the bank of the Nile. By weaving together long strips and placing a weight on top to bind them together, they were able to create these long and durable, thin sheets. The English word 'paper' actually comes from the word 'papyrus'.

The Egyptians found the need to create paper due to the fact that writing on stones, Ancient Temples, and caves was not fairly easy. By creating paper, they were able to transcribe messages and publish important documents that could be carried and transported. However, it was actually mostly used only for religious and government texts because manufacturing costs were fairly expensive. This was still better than learning how to write on potsherds, chunks of stone, and pieces of wood, which would have took years to learn.

Papyrus was able to flourish in Egypt because of its dry climate. This is why we still have documents to this day that were created up to 5000 years ago. However, there is evidence of papyrus scrolls being used in Europe and Ancient Greece which only lasted up to a few decades, if lucky. Although the papyrus wasn't able to last in these regions, it still charged the idea to find other ways of creating paper such as using materials like wood and bamboo. Paper was soon widely used in China and spread to the rest of world through the Silk Road.

Papers first uses included being used as a wrap for precious items in Ancient China, religous texts in Ancient Egypt, and government texts in Ancient Greece. Today paper is used in a much more wider variety. It is found almost everywhere, such as in your bathroom, on newspaper stands, in classrooms. Paper is now even being used as a power source. At MIT they created a printable solar cell that puts out enough energy to power an LCD clock display.