papirus

Papirus, or papyrus, is a tall, aquatic sedge native to the Nile valley and parts of Africa. It grows in marshy wetlands and can reach several meters in height. The plant’s hollow stems contain a fibrous pith that can be processed to produce a writing material.

Historically, papyrus was the principal writing surface of ancient Egypt and remained widely used in the Mediterranean world for centuries. Scribes prepared sheets by cutting the outer rind from the green stems, shredding the inner pith into lengthwise fibers, and laying strips in two layers at right angles. When moistened and pressed, the fibers bonded into a smooth sheet that dried to a workable writing surface. The sheets were joined to form scrolls or bound into codices, and they were used for texts, religious documents, and drawings.

Besides its use as a writing material, the papyrus plant provided rope, mats, sandals, and lightweight construction components. The papyrus industry extended along Nile waterways and into other parts of the Mediterranean, where the plant could be cultivated or gathered from natural stands.

With the introduction of parchment and, later, paper, papyrus declined in Europe and the broader Mediterranean. In many regions its use faded by late antiquity, though it continued in some places for a time. Today, papyrus refers both to the plant and to the historic writing material; in some languages the term papirus appears as an alternative spelling.