Papyrus plant

Papyrus paper

(ppars)
Where does Papyrus come from? The word paper comes from papyrus. This was the name given by Egyptians to the plant from which papyrus is extracted. Papyrus is made from a plant that grows on the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. It is very common in Egypt. This aquatic plant, Cyperus papyrus, grows up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) high. The leaves are long, sharp and green. The flowers bloom at the tip.

How was Papyrus made? / What was it used for? To make papyrus, they cut the long stalks and soaked them in water for some time and then laid a lot of these stalks next to each other and a lot of other stalks on top; then, they pounded them flat, until all the stalks got mashed into all the other ones. The result was something very similar to the paper we know at the present time.

The papyrus plants had a multitude of uses. Their roots were a source of food, medicine, and perfume. Egyptians used the stem of the plant for several purposes like making mattresses, chairs clothing, footwear and boats but the most popular use was making papyrus - the most important writing material in the ancient world. Nowadays, this plant is considered to be mostly ornamental.

Papyrus reproduction (manuscript)