From Papyrus to Paper: Evolution of Writing Supports in Egypt

Abstract

As the cradle of civilization, Egypt has historically been at the center of the development of writing supports, which were first developed from the local papyrus, but later gradually replaced by true paper. This paper delves into Egypt’s historic change in writing materials. Used for over 4,000 years since around 3000 BCE, papyrus was a central element in the administrative and religious activities of the ancient Egyptian civilization, and the method of its production was an industry secret. The advent of true paper in the 8^th century CE, which involved breaking down plant tissue to release fibers, marked the beginning of a cultural change that led to the phasing out of papyrus under Islamic rule. By the time the 12^th century CE came around, the making of papyrus had essentially stopped, as paper had taken over, being both more durable and versatile. This study investigates the following: the reign of papyrus; the history and material science of papyrus; the technological shift from lamination to maceration, and comparative analysis of writing supports.