Forensic 4: Questioned Document Examination

Cyperus Papyrus- this plant grew along the river banks of the Nile. This plant is versatile since it was not
used only as paper, but was also use in the manufacture of boats, ropes, and baskets.

Process of Production

1. After the stalks of the papyrus plant has harvested.

2. The skin of the stalk is removed and the inner pith is taken out and cut into long strips.
3. The strips are pounded and soaked in water for 3 days until pliable or enough to bend.
4. The strips are then cut to the desired length and laid horizontally on a cotton sheet overlapping
about 1mm
5. Then, other strips are laid vertically over the horizontal strips resulting in the intersecting lines
or crisscross pattern in papyrus paper.
6. The another cotton sheet is placed on top.
7. The sheet is then press and squeezed together, with the cotton sheet being replaced until the
moisture is removed
8. Finally, all the strips are pressed together forming a single sheet of papyrus paper.
Parchment

Parchment actually, is made from the skin of an animal such as calf, goat, and sheep. It has been used
for important documents; like public laws, religious texts, and land records, since it I considered as
strong and stable material for writing, that a paper.

Parchment vs Vellum

Parchment is a general term for the skin of an animal usually from a calf, goat, and sheep, while vellum
is term derived from the French word vellin which refers to parchment made from the skin of a calf.
Today, a modern imitation of vellum is made out of cotton known as paper vellum which merely suggest
quality of the product, but actually it is not vellum.
Paper in China

The modern predecessor on papers, said, that paper have originated in China in 2 nd Century, but there
are some other evidence that paper is being used prior to this century. One of the great inventions of a
ancient China was during in 2nd Century A.D, by Han Dynasty of eunuch Cailung. In this century, the First
pulp papermaking was developed in China.

Paper Recycling

Paper recycling is the process of using either chemical and mechanical pulp mixing water and applying
mechanical hydrogen, and the bonds in the papers are broken and the fibers separated again. Recycled
papers, may contains 100% recycled material, blended with virgin fiber of pulp, to acquire higher quality.
De-inked pulp may be of the same quality or lower quality than the recycled one.