30-second read. Written by Soham Saxena – a grade 5 student

Papyrus is something like paper, only it is thicker. It was used in ancient times to write on. It was first used in Egypt, as the Papyrus plant (which it was made from) used to be found in the Nile delta. It was not only used in Egypt, but also throughout the Mediterranean region.

What is the Papyrus plant?

Papyrus looks like tall grass – it is thin and grasslike and grows in water.  Apart from paper, the ancient Egyptians used the stem of the papyrus plant to make things like sails, cloth, mats, etc.  

It was made by slicing the layers of the stem and putting many on top of one another and then pressed. When they are pressed and dried, a glue like thing comes out and that sticks the layers together. Then the dried sheet is hammered and is ready for writing.

This is what the plant looks like:

Here’s a nice video on how to make Papyrus paper (made by Experience Egypt)