Papyrus

ancient Egypt · writing · plants

Made from plants. Papyrus was created from the papyrus plant, which grew in Egyptian wetlands. Workers sliced the plant's inner core, called pith, into thin strips.

Strips became sheets. They laid strips side by side, then placed another layer on top at right angles, almost like a criss-cross pattern. When pressed and dried, the plant's natural juices glued the strips together into a smooth sheet.

Ancient writing paper. Scribes used papyrus with ink made from plant materials to write everything from royal letters to religious texts. The Egyptians wrote on it for over 3,000 years.

Scrolls and storage. Sheets were joined side by side and rolled into long scrolls, which were the ancient world's version of books. This made them easy to carry and store in temples and libraries.

Secrets survived. Papyrus is so durable that many ancient documents still exist today, letting historians read real words from people who lived thousands of years ago.