The word paper comes from 'Papyrus', an Egyptian word that originally meant "that which belongs to the house." Papyrus was very useful to the ancient Egyptians and revolutionized their means of communication. The first use of paper papyrus is believed to have been in 4000 BC during the first dynasty. It was continued to be used until about the 11th century. Papyrus was discovered by the Egyptians in their quest to find an effective and easy communication.
Papyrus was considered strong, durable and easy to carry. Papyrus is made from a plant that grows on the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. Aquatic plant, Cyperus papyrus, up to 15 feet. Its green, triangular stem has long pointed leaves and clusters of flowers up to 20 inches. Papyrus is made from the stem of this plant. The rod was also used for the manufacture of boats, rope and baskets. As is believed, Papyrus was not only used as a writing instrument, it was also used for mattresses on beds, for building chairs and tables, mats, baskets, sandals , utensils, rope and boats.
In addition, the root of the papyrus was a source of food, medicines and perfumes.Papyrus was one of the main exports of Egypt. But it did not survive long because the dry climate of Egypt was favorable to its preservation. Written on papyrus with is known as papyrus. The climate of Egypt papyrus preserved in the ruins of ancient cities and cemeteries. Papyrus making process is as follows. For practical reasons, the papyrus was limited to running a standard size 47 cm or less, and 22 cm wide.
First, the outer layer of the shaft has been eliminated. The inner layer of the plant was cut into long strips and placed side by side with a second layer on top at right angles. Then everything was soaked in water and pressed under a heavy rock for 21 days. The juice of the plant acts as glue and glued the strips together. The result was a piece that was hammered flat and sun-dried. The process differs slightly in different periods of Egyptian history, but the essence was almost the same.
For longer documents, pages have been combined to create a roll of papyrus. Indeed, the papyrus sheets were generally not sold separately, but rolls. There were also books called papyrus codex in subsequent periods. Each type of papyrus was used for different purposes. Very cheaply made coarse papyrus was used by traders to built. Varieties finest and most expensive were reserved for religious or literary works. The finest papyrus was made using the innermost layers and marrow would come from the Delta region.
Different varieties and sizes of papyrus were often named in honor of the emperors or officials. The ancient object recorded on papyrus can be extremely varied and may include literature, religious texts, magical texts and even instrumental music. Papyrus paper production and cultivation of papyrus plantations were neglected after the invention of paper and papyrus Egyptian effectively disappeared from the landscape.