Papyrus

This article is about the paper-like material. For the plant it is made from, see Cyperus papyrus. For other uses, see Papyrus (disambiguation).

Papyrus (P. BM EA 10591 recto column IX, beginning of lines 13–17)

Papyrus (/pəˈpaɪrəs/ pə-PY-rəs) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge.[1] Papyrus (plural: papyri or papyruses[2]) can also refer to a document written on sheets of such material, joined side by side and rolled up into a scroll, an early form of a book.

An official letter on a papyrus of the 3rd century BCE

Papyrus was first known to have been used in Egypt (at least as far back as the First Dynasty), as the papyrus plant was once abundant across the Nile Delta. It was also used throughout the Mediterranean region. Apart from writing material, ancient Egyptians employed papyrus in the construction of other artifacts, such as reed boats, mats, rope, sandals, and baskets.[3]

  1. ^ "Papyrus definition". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  2. ^ "Papyrus". Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Ebers Papyrus". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 8 March 2014.