Papyrus is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge. The word "papyrus" can refer to both the writing material and the plant from which it is made. The papyrus plant is a grass-like aquatic plant that has woody, bluntly triangular stems and can grow up to 4.6 meters (about 15 feet) high in quietly flowing water up to 90 centimeters (3 feet) deep. The plant is native to river banks and marshy areas, as it requires large quantities of water.
To make papyrus, the outer rind of the papyrus plant is first removed, and the sticky fibrous inner pith is cut lengthwise into thin strips of about 40 centimeters (16 inches) long. The strips are then placed side by side on a hard surface with their edges slightly overlapping, and another layer of strips is laid on top at right angles. The strips may have been soaked in water long enough for decomposition to begin, perhaps increasing adhesion, but this is not certain. The process of making papyrus was highly skilled, and the ancient Egyptians even bred a specially cultivated strain of papyrus to produce a high-quality writing material.
Papyrus was widely used as a writing material in ancient Egypt, and it continued to be used to some extent until around 1100 AD. It was the most popular writing material for the ancient Greeks and was exported throughout the classical world. Today, modern papyrus is used as a specialty writing material by artists and calligraphers. The papyrus plant is now often used as a pool ornamental in warm areas or in conservatories, and the dwarf papyrus is sometimes potted and grown indoors. Some communities living in the vicinity of swamps still use papyrus for various purposes.
