scrolls
Scrolls are long, rolled manuscripts used to record text or images on durable materials such as papyrus, parchment, or vellum. They were a dominant format for writing in many ancient and medieval cultures before the rise of the codex, and they remain an important symbol of antiquity and scholarly transmission. A scroll typically consists of a continuous sheet or a sequence of sheets rolled around a rod or stored in a cylindrical container; reading involves unrolling the material to reveal sections of text in sequence.
Materials and regional variations shaped scroll formats. Papyrus was common in ancient Egypt and the eastern
Preservation and decline. Scrolls are sensitive to humidity, temperature, and pests; many survive only as fragments
In contemporary contexts, scrolls persist as cultural symbols and decorative artifacts. The term also appears in