Egypt: Old Kingdom May 2026

Papyrus was essential for the , enabling the management of the vast resources required for monumental projects like the pyramids.

The oldest known papyrus roll was discovered in a tomb at , dating back to approximately 2900 BCE , just before the start of the Old Kingdom. Egypt: Old Kingdom

Egyptians sliced the pith into thin strips, layered them in a crosshatch pattern (horizontal and vertical), and pressed them together. The plant's natural sap acted as an adhesive to bond the layers into a single sheet. Papyrus was essential for the , enabling the

It was made from the pith (inner marrow) of the Cyperus papyrus plant, which grew abundantly in the Nile Delta. The plant's natural sap acted as an adhesive

In the context of the (c. 2686–2181 BCE), "paper" refers to papyrus , the world's first writing material . While true paper was later invented in China, the Egyptians pioneered the use of the papyrus plant to create a durable, flexible surface for record-keeping and literature. The Invention of Papyrus

Once dried and smoothed with a stone or shell, these sheets were often glued together to form scrolls exceeding 30 feet in length. Role in the Old Kingdom