Papyrus, from which we get the modern word paper, is a writing material made from the papyrus plant, a reed which grows in the marshy areas around the Nile river. Papyrus was used as a writing material as early as 3,000 BC in ancient Egypt, and continued to be used to some extent until around 1100 AD.

Where was papyrus made?

The papyrus plant was long cultivated in the Nile delta region in Egypt and was collected for its stalk or stem, whose central pith was cut into thin strips, pressed together, and dried to form a smooth thin writing surface.

Did Egypt invent papyrus?

The word papyrus refers both to the writing support invented by the ancient Egyptians (35.9. 19a–e), and the plant from which they made this material. ... Although today the plant no longer grows in the Egyptian Nile Valley, it is generally accepted that during antiquity it was common and indigenous to the area.