History of paper

The history of paper began in Ancient Egypt approx. 3700 BC – 3200 BC with the use of papyrus as a medium for written records, a considerable advance over the technique employed by the Sumerians of writing on clay tablets. The word "paper" is etymologically derived from papyros, Ancient Greek for the Cyperus papyrus. Most western books in the middle ages were made of parchment, derived from animal hides.

Paper was invented by the Chinese by 105 AD in the Han Dynasty and spread slowly to the west via Samarkand and Baghdad. Papermaking and manufacturing in Europe started in Spain and Scicily in the X century by the Arab Muslims living there then,and slowly spread to Italy and South France reaching Germany by 1400.