Once dried and smoothed with a stone or shell, these sheets were often glued together to form scrolls exceeding 30 feet in length. Role in the Old Kingdom
The oldest known papyrus roll was discovered in a tomb at , dating back to approximately 2900 BCE , just before the start of the Old Kingdom. Egypt: Old Kingdom
In the context of the (c. 2686–2181 BCE), "paper" refers to papyrus , the world's first writing material . While true paper was later invented in China, the Egyptians pioneered the use of the papyrus plant to create a durable, flexible surface for record-keeping and literature. The Invention of Papyrus Once dried and smoothed with a stone or
Papyrus was essential for the , enabling the management of the vast resources required for monumental projects like the pyramids. 2686–2181 BCE), "paper" refers to papyrus , the
Egyptians sliced the pith into thin strips, layered them in a crosshatch pattern (horizontal and vertical), and pressed them together. The plant's natural sap acted as an adhesive to bond the layers into a single sheet.
It was made from the pith (inner marrow) of the Cyperus papyrus plant, which grew abundantly in the Nile Delta.