Download Papyrus

Papyrus Papyrus is a triangular reed that grew, and still grows, along the banks of the Nile and in the delta
swamps. The papyrus reed grew thick and tall, with a height of four or five metres. Its stalk was six to nine
centimetres thick. Papyrus could be used to make a variety of things like baskets, boxes, mats, sandals, sieves,
ropes, stools, sails and boats. The most important use for papyrus was to create a type of paper from the pith
(soft, spongy tissue) of the reed. Paper made out of papyrus was the most convenient writing material available
in the ancient world. Because of this, papyrus paper was a highly desired product and was exported all over the
ancient world.
Through export of papyrus paper, Egyptian writing spread to other parts of the world. Because it was
lightweight and could be rolled up, it was more easily handled than the baked-clay tablets that were commonly
used in other places. While a document written on clay often weighed about eighteen to twenty-two kilograms;
a papyrus roll, of many times the surface area, could be conveniently carried. This convenient writing material
could be written on with ink which, in turn, helped to spread the knowledge of writing to places outside of
Egypt.
The use of papyrus for making paper was extremely important to the Roman Empire. During the reign
of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, the plant was afflicted by disease, and that year’s supply failed. The
organization of the Roman Empire nearly ground to a halt because of their reliance on the paper to
communicate information across the Empire. This wild plant was second only to grain among the Nile’s gifts
and can be seen as one of the most important inventions of the ancient Egyptians, so much so that the English
word “paper” comes from the word “papyrus”.
Adapted from Legacies of Ancient Egypt