EOTO: The History of Paper

Paper is one of the most significant inventions in human history, helping revolutionize the way people, record, share, and get their information. The history of paper dates all the way back to ancient civilization and has undergone numerous transformations to become the essential material that we use today. 

Before the invention of paper, early civilizations used various materials to record information. They used clay tablets to inscribe cuneiform writing while the Egyptians developed papyrus, made from the pith of the papyrus plant. Papyrus was widely used in the Mediterranean world for centuries, but it was fragile and difficult to produce in large quantities. 

About 2,000 years ago inventors in China took communication skills to the next level, crafting cloth sheets to record all of their drawings and writings. After that, paper as we know it, was born. Paper was first made in Lei-Yang, China by Ts’ai Lun, who was a Chinese court official. What he did to first create paper was by mixing mulberry bark, hemp and rags with water, then mashed it into a pulp, pressed out the liquid and hung the thin mat to dry out in the sun. During the 8th century, about 300 years after Ts’ai’s discovery, the secret traveled to the region that is now the Middle East. Yet, it took another 500 years for papermaking to enter Europe. One of the first paper mills was built in Spain, and soon, paper was being made at mills all across Europe. In 1690, the first paper mill was built in Pennsylvania At first American paper mills used the Chinese method of shredding old rags and clothes into individual fibers to make paper, but, as the demand for paper grew, the mills changed to using fiber from trees because wood was less expensive and more abundant than cloth.

https://www.afandpa.org/history-paper

At first American paper mills used the Chinese method of shredding old rags and clothes into individual fibers to make paper. But, as the demand for paper grew, the mills changed to using fiber from trees because wood was less expensive and more abundant than cloth.

By the 19th century, paper production became fully mechanized. The invention of the Fourdrinier machine in 1806 allowed continuous paper production, making it faster and cheaper. Wood pulp replaced rags as the primary raw material, making paper widely accessible for newspapers, books, and packaging. 

https://paper.gatech.edu/papermaking-united-states-america

Now paper is used for almost everything when it comes to businesses, sports, statistics, and more. One of the most important things that paper is currently used for is contracts for business people and professional athletes. Even though technology like computers and phones are still very much on the rise, paper is still being used every single day. The history of paper is a story of innovation, cultural exchanges, and technological advancements. From its intentions in ancient China to its roles in the modern world, paper has played a crucial role in shaping the way human civilization uses paper for everything today including communication, like they would do back in ancient China.