Papyrus

Papyrus paper

Papyrus plant Cyperus papyrus at Kew Gardens, London

Papyrus plants at Syracuse, Sicily

Papyrus is a kind of fatsio that was used in Ancient Egypt for writing. It was first made in the 3rd millennium BC. It was made from a kind of reed called Cyperus papyrus.

This plant grows in marshy areas around the Nile river. The Egyptians also used the papyrus plants to make boats, mattresses, mats, rope, sandals, and baskets.

Specially cultivated papyrus, grown on plantations, was used to make the writing material. Papyrus was first used in Ancient Egypt, but it was later used elsewhere in the Mediterranean region.

Other websites

• Media related to Papyrus at Wikimedia Commons
• The dictionary definition of papyrus at Wiktionary