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. Excavators of a tomb at Saqqara discovered the earliest known roll of papyrus, dated to around 2900 B.C., and papyrus continued to be used until the eleventh century A.D. even as paper, invented in China, became the most popular writing material for the Arab world around the eighth century A.D. In ancient Egypt, texts could be written on papyrus in hieroglyphs, hieratic script, or Demotic script, and later papyrus was used in Greek (09.182.50), Coptic, Latin, Aramaic, and Arabic documents. With minor variations, the papyrus roll was produced essentially the same way throughout its approximately 4,000-year history. In addition to its function as a material for writing, papyrus was used in rope, basketry, sandals (10.184.1a,b), and other everyday items.
The botanical name for the papyrus plant is Cyperus papyrus, denoting that it belongs in the large Cyperaceae family of sedge plants. 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. While papyrus grew wild along the Nile, the possibility that it also may have been cultivated for use in papermaking has been explored but remains an open question.
5 окт 2024
