Who Invented Paper
Paper is a very versatile material that has many different uses. But who invented paper? This post will answer that very question.
Who Invented Paper?
This question is best answered by looking at the history of writing tools and paper.
History of Paper
- The ancient Sumerians used clay tablets to write.
- The ancient Egyptians used papyrus as a writing material. This was much better than writing on clay tablets. Papyrus was made from beaten strips of papyrus plants. There is evidence showing that the Egyptians used papyrus as early as 3700 BC. They later exported papyrus to Greek and Rome. The word ‘paper’ comes from the Greek work for ‘papyrus’.
- From about 1600 to 250 BC, the ancient Chinese wrote on bamboo strips or bone. These were heavy and difficult to transport.
- The first ‘paper’ was invented in ancient China sometime around 200 BC. However, this paper was made very differently modern paper.
- Cai Lun, a court official during the Han Dynasty in China, is credited with inventing ‘modern’ paper. He first made paper from rags and plant fibers in 105 AD. While the papermaking process has changed throughout the years, modern paper is still quite similar to that made by Cai Lun. Paper became widely used as a writing implement by the 3rd century (200-300 AD).
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