Where Was Paper Invented?

A quick history of an everyday item.

Paper was invented in China, not in ancient Egypt or elsewhere. This distinction rests on the definition of the word "paper." Paper is a sheet product of separating fibers in filaments.

Chinese Origins

Many sources and encyclopedias report that Tsai Lun, a Han Dynasty eunuch, invented paper around AD 105. Archeological expeditions, however, have uncovered paper scraps a few centuries older, in China's Gansu province. However, while not the inventor of paper, Tsai Lun still played a crucial role in developing the material. Hemp fibers comprise most examples of classical Chinese paper.

Global Spread

From China, the concept of paper spread into Japan and Korea. It also traveled through the Gobi Desert, through the caravan trials, where it ultimately ended up in Asia Minor and the Middle East. Macro Polo, in his travels and subsequent writings, was likely the first Western European to come into contact with paper.

Misnomers

While the Chinese invented paper, it was hardly the first substance to be written on. History shows the use of rice paper, as well as papyrus, for use as "paper." However, the manufacturing techniques used to make both disqualify them as "paper." In Western Europe, there have been recorded uses of vellum and parchment, but again, both are products of tanning animal skins.

References

• Neathery Batsell Fuller: A Brief History Of Paper
• Georgia Tech: Robert C. Williams Paper Musuem: The Invention of Paper

Resources

• The Paper Technology Foundation: About The Paper Technology Foundation, Inc.