# Papyrus making

> Pith strips pressed into a writing sheet

- Date: c. 3,000 BCE
- Era: Antiquity
- Domain: [Writing & Communication](https://lastcodex.org/en/domains/communication/)
- Rebuild stage: II (Settlement)
- Difficulty: 2/5
- URL: https://lastcodex.org/en/inventions/papyrus/

Papyrus is a writing support made from the pith of an aquatic plant. Thin strips are laid in crossing layers, pressed and dried into sheets, which can be joined to make a roll.

![Papyrus making · Pith strips pressed into a writing sheet](https://lastcodex.org/_astro/plate.HoaiXpKt_1l26aa.webp)

## Legend

1. Partly peeled stem
2. Pith strips
3. Lower layer
4. Crosswise upper layer
5. Dry sheet

## What it is

Papyrus is the name of both a plant and the writing material made from its stem. Beneath the green outer rind lies pale pith. Cutting it lengthwise produces continuous strips that can be assembled into a surface capable of carrying ink.

[Paper](/en/inventions/paper/) begins with separate fibres suspended in water and gathered on a screen. Papyrus retains its strips. Parchment comes from animal skin prepared and dried under tension. The same words can be written on each of these materials, but the sheets have different structures and require different workshop skills.

## How it works

![Two perpendicular layers of pith strips being assembled on a board](https://lastcodex.org/_astro/v1.Bg0uq7Jo_Z2jXsWz.webp)
_The strips cross in separate layers without being woven together._

The strips in the lower layer lie alongside one another. A second layer crosses them. Pressure brings the damp plant surfaces into close contact; as they dry, the strips adhere to form a sheet that can be handled. Their joins and directions remain visible, especially when light shines through the material.

Crossing the layers spreads the joins and helps the sheet hold together. No strip travels alternately over and under another: there is no weaving. Flattening also reduces the ridges that would catch a writing point or brush. Smoothing is part of preparing a useful writing surface, rather than simply making it look tidy.

Sheets can be joined at their edges to form a roll. Strips running along a writing face give the pen or brush a more continuous path. The material has a pronounced direction, with the strips on the opposite face running across those on the front.

## How to do it

For a modern trial, obtain a cultivated papyrus stem, water, a sharp knife, a smooth board, a wooden rolling pin and absorbent cloths. Present-day reconstructions demonstrate the assembly principle; the precise ancient method of producing the strips remains a subject of research.

Remove the green rind. Slice the pith lengthwise into strips as even as you can make them. Soak them until pliable, then flatten them with the rolling pin on the board. Thick spots would leave an uneven writing surface.

![Dry sheet beside a smooth stone used for burnishing](https://lastcodex.org/_astro/v2.jX_chfz2_Z1qOFt8.webp)
_A smooth stone reduces raised areas on the dry sheet._

Lay the strips side by side with a slight overlap. Add another layer at right angles. Cover with cloth and place the whole assembly between clean boards. Spread the pressure evenly on a stable horizontal surface, keeping fingers clear of any clamping point. Replace damp cloths so that the sheet can dry.

Release the sheet once it holds together. Work gently over the high spots with a smooth stone, taking care not to pull strips loose. Test a small stroke of ink on an offcut. If the sheet separates or catches the writing tool, improve its joins or finish before trying a longer piece of writing.

## History and evolution

A blank roll from the tomb of Hemaka at Saqqara belongs to Egypt’s First Dynasty, around 3000–2900 BCE. It preserves a manufactured support older than the surviving written papyrus documents. The logbook of Merer, found at Wadi el-Jarf, dates to the middle of the twenty-sixth century BCE and records stone transport for Khufu’s pyramid.

Papyrus later carried accounts, letters and books across the Greek and Roman worlds. Rolls were only one format: leaves could also be gathered into a codex, arranged like the pages of a book. Parchment and paper gradually changed the balance of materials in use. Egypt’s dry climate preserved many scraps of papyrus, offering evidence of [writing](/en/inventions/writing/) and ordinary activities that seldom received a record carved in stone.

## Key facts

- Surviving support: Egypt, around 3000 BCE
- Material: Pith of Cyperus papyrus
- Structure: Two crossing layers
- Book format: Sheets joined into a roll

## Requires

- [Stone Tools](https://lastcodex.org/en/inventions/stone-tools/): The first cutting edge (3.3 million years ago)
- [Weaving](https://lastcodex.org/en/inventions/weaving/): Threads crossed into cloth (c. 6,700 BCE)

## Sources

- [Papyrus](https://www.csmc.uni-hamburg.de/profiling-guide/materials/writing-surfaces/papyrus.html), Universität Hamburg, CSMC, Olivier Bonnerot et Grzegorz Nehring
- [Root of a papyrus plant](https://www.onb.ac.at/en/museums/papyrus-museum/programme/permanent-exhibition/the-thematic-areas-of-the-exhibition/root-of-a-papyrus-shrub), Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Papyrusmuseum
- [Papyrus Making 101: An Introduction to Papyrus](https://apps.lib.umich.edu/files/collections/papyrus/exhibits/papyrus_making/pm_intro.html), University of Michigan Library
- [Papyrus Making 101: Slide Overview](https://apps.lib.umich.edu/files/collections/papyrus/exhibits/papyrus_making/slides.html), University of Michigan Library, photographies Leyla Lau-Lamb

Fact-checked on 2026-11-01.

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The Last Codex · https://lastcodex.org/en/inventions/papyrus/ · © The Last Codex. Texts, plates and figures: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.