First papyrus
Before the invention of paper, people wrote, drew and painted on walls, wood, clay tablets and animal skins. The ancient Egyptians came up with the idea of making scrolls from the pressed fibre of the papyrus plant some 5,000 years ago. The word 'paper' comes from the Greek word for 'papyrus'.
But paper as we know it today was invented in China. It is called one of the 'Four Great Inventions of Ancient China'. The others were the compass, gunpowder and printing. It is said the invention was made by Cai Lun, an official in the Han dynasty (206-220 AD). But older examples of paper have been found in China.
Mulberry bark and hemp
Early Chinese wrote on bones. They also wrote on strips of bamboo that were sewn together and made into books. The problem was that a big book was too heavy to carry. Silk was much lighter, but it was too expensive. Paper was first used for writing sometime between 200 BC and 100 BC.
The first paper was made by mashing mulberry bark and hemp with water. Then the mash was spread out and left to dry in the sun. By the 3rd century, the new invention was being used all over China. By the 6th century, China was the first country in the world to use toilet paper.
