Proserpina's WunderBlog

The road to paper-making, Part I

Posted by: Proserpina, 6:18 PM GMT on May 30, 2012

THE ROAD TO PAPER-MAKING

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if paper had not been invented? Imagine a world without accessible books, no newspapers, no magazines, no toilet paper, no watercolor paper, no writing stationary, no paper cups and plates, … The list of modern conveniences made with paper is endless.

Communication has been a basic need of human beings and written communication has been the center of civilization.

From the earliest times of history man conveyed his thoughts and information without using paper. Oral transmission was the obvious method but man needed to communicate in ways other than verbal means. Cave drawings provided a non verbal means of communication but cave walls are not portable and man had to find other means to communicate.

Cave paintings at Lascaux, France

Some of the early surfaces for ‘written’ communication were stone, clay tablets and clay bricks, metal, wood, wax tablets, ivory, palm and olive trees leaves, bark, papyrus, and parchment. Obviously most of these materials were not practical and thus not conducive to widespread use.

Before paper as we know it today was invented, there were two important materials for making acceptable writing surfaces, papyrus and parchment.

PAPYRUS

The English word papyrus derives, via Latin, from Greek πάπυρος (papuros)

Papyrus ‘paper’ was first used by the Babylonians and since 3000 B.C. by the Egyptians. The ‘paper’ was made from the Cyperus Papyrus plant which grew on the shorelines of streams and particularly in the Nile Delta of Egypt.

Papermaking Papyrus plant

The primary type of paper made with papyrus was in the form of scrolls. Scrolls were used to keep records of happenings in the Egyptian society. Some examples of existing scrolls are: Book of the dead, treaties on medicine and surgery, treaties on mathematics, folk tales.

"Book Of The Dead" on papyrus

The following is a description of how the papyrus ‘paper’ was made: “The "paper" from the papyrus plant was made from the stem of the plant. The outer rind is first stripped off, and the sticky fibrous inner pith is cut lengthwise into thin strips. The strips are then placed side by side on a hard surface with their edges slightly overlapping, and then another layer of strips is laid on top at a right angle. While still moist, the two layers are hammered together, mashing the layers into a single sheet. The moisture or juice from the strips function as adhesive between the layers. The sheet is then dried under pressure.” (http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Papermaking/History_ of_paper)

The papyrus ‘paper’ was also used in the Mediterranean region, particularly by the Romans and Greeks.

Of interest is the Villa of the Papyri found at the ancient town of Herculaneum, destroyed in the eruption of the volcano Vesuvius in 79 AD. The Villa which was unearthed in 1753 belonged to Julius Caesar’s father in law.

Villa dei Papiri, (Mosaic floor)

Within the Villa is found the only library preserved from the classical world. Included in the library are 1,785 papyrus scrolls, carbonized but preserved by the pyroclastic flow of superheated gas, steam, and mud. They are known as the Herculaneum Papyri.

Carbonized Papyrus Scroll

Obviously the scrolls cannot be unrolled as they would disintegrate, however modern technology using multi-spectral imaging has assisted in actually reading the scrolls!

Papyrus Scroll at Herculaneum

Another example of classical literary illustration on papyrus (from the Mediterranean area) is the Heracles Papyrus. This is a fragment of a 3rd century Greek manuscript of a poem about the Labors of Heracles. It contains three unframed colored line drawings of the first of the Labors, the killing of the Nemean Lion.

Heracles Papyrus

The photos below are samples of very interesting papyrus remnants:

One leaf of the Pauline Epistles (P.Mich.inv. 6238, also known as P46), Ephesians VI:20 - Galatians I:8. This is the oldest copy of Paul's letters in existence, dating to the late 2nd/early 3rd century CE.

Homer's Iliad 1.32-57 on papyrus (P.Mich.inv. 13). This fragment dates to the 2nd/3rd century CE.

This was going to be a simple, short blog on paper-making but I got interested in other facets of the topic and the 'short blog' has grown into several posts to follow this first part.

Flooded (Proserpina)

For hours we have alternated between tornadoes watches and warnings. We have has some good sized thunderstorms, and now flooding.The photos are of my backyard and flower beds. The little creek which is usually just a trickle is right now a torrent and has pretty much inundated my flower beds.

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101. calpoppy 2:01 PM GMT on June 15, 2012
Hi Pros! First a very happy belated 49th anniversary!!! Next, what great news on your eye!! And last but not least, congrats to your grandson for all his awards!! That is a special proud mama moment! No good pics of my white poppy this year as the flowers were much smaller then normal. I blame it on my being a bit lazy about cutting off the seed pods which had developed from last year's bloom. So this year I will be out with clippers in hand! At least I have 2 new plants that have come up from the original plant. So it makes a total of 4 new plants!! I am hoping that the whole area will become all Matilija poppies! I sure hope your flower garden recovered from all the flooding. Take care, Pros! Member Since: February 18, 2008 Posts: 33 Comments: 2426

102. janetlee 4:55 PM GMT on June 15, 2012
a very proud moment indeed! A big congratulations to the whole family. Enjoy your lunch and have something sinfully delicious! Member Since: March 14, 2006 Posts: 46 Comments: 1403

103. Proserpina 11:43 PM GMT on June 15, 2012
Hello Calpoppy and janetlee. Calpoppy, thank you for all of the congrats. Yes, momma and dad are very happy and proud of their son, and I am proud of the work that my son and daughter in law are doing with their children. So sorry that your white poppies are not yielding the usual size poppies, maybe next year. Glad that you have little babies that will give you poppies in the future. I planted several packets of different sunflowers and the seeds were all eaten by birds and squirrels! I still have a few seeds left of two varieties but it may be too late to plant them now, but if I do I will cover them with chicken wire or something.... Thank you for stopping by. janetlee, thank you for the congrats. Indeed I had several sinful items to eat. We went to a restaurant called Chez Francois where they serve a feast (fixed lunches and dinners with tons of choices). We had two different kinds of hors d'oeuvres, fancy salad, entree with veggies, specially prepared breads, desserts. Wine was part of the meal but we do not drink so our friends enjoyed our libations. As always the best part for me are the desserts. Today I chose a blackberry tart which came with homemade ice cream served on a special cookie, and flavored whipped cream. I ate the tart and left the rest. I felt virtuous leaving part of the dessert! We used to go to this restaurant often but not recently, today our we and our friends decided to go back soon. I'd say that I just gave free advertising but the place is so busy that reservations must be made weeks in advance! They do not need my praise. Thank you for stopping by. Sandi, I want you to know that I did not bring leftovers home, as I promised. Member Since: May 6, 2008 Posts: 152 Comments: 16717

104. ColoradoKat 2:41 AM GMT on June 16, 2012
Hi Pros! SUCH good news about your eye. What a weight lifted from your shoulders! Happy Day! And how about that Grandson of yours...wow! It seems all you hear about kids these days is bad news, so it is just wonderful to hear of a child being rewarded for *good* things! It is a compliment to his parents, and therefore, to his Grandparents, as well! Good genes being passed down through the generations! All your good news has left me with a BIG smile on my face! Thanks for that!:-D Member Since: December 24, 2007 Posts: 0 Comments: 4911

105. GardenGrrl 9:53 AM GMT on June 16, 2012
Hi Prose, was so happy to hear that your eye will be okay. Such a scary thing to think about. Glad you got to have a wonderful feast to celebrate the good things in your life. Member Since: March 25, 2007 Posts: 217 Comments: 7244

106. sandiquiz 10:05 AM GMT on June 16, 2012
Sandi, I want you to know that I did not bring leftovers home, as I promised LOL - you are a good girl, and teacher is pleased to see you learnt your lesson... the hard way!! Going to jog through a few blogs and then get paintbrush in hand for the rest of the weekend! Have a great one, yourself:) Member Since: October 29, 2005 Posts: 252 Comments: 22397

107. Proserpina 11:14 AM GMT on June 16, 2012
Good morning Sandi. I hope you will give us a peek of your work. I have the art class today and if the mood hits me, I too will paint. If not, I will be looking at the work and techniques of a professional artist (video). I am overdue for a walk around the blogs yet have not been able to, soon I hope. Have fun today. Good morning GG, thank you for stopping by, I know that you are busy. Thank you for the nice comments. Ye, I do feel relieved, the situation was really weighing on my mind. Now I have to be vigilant for any changes of vision and act immediately by going to the retina specialist. Have a wonderful weekend GG. You are an inspiration to me and many of us. KAT, my buddy! Thank you for your thoughts, words, kindnesses. You bring me laughter and thus healing! Thank you for thinking that grandma had a little to do with grandson's successes via his father, my son. I tried hard to be a good mom, sometimes I failed, but sometimes I did pretty good. As to the math genes, they definitely came from his father and grandfather (my hubby). I am helpless and hopeless when it comes to math! And machines, I might add! You posted a new photo of your owlet visitors, another real good one. Keep enticing them and keep taking those photos, please. My cup of coffee is almost gone which means that Koko will wake up soon and will need my attention. Also I want time to walk around the garden to smell the roses! Then it will be time to go play with paints. Have a wonderful day everyone. Member Since: May 6, 2008 Posts: 152 Comments: 16717

108. masshysteria 3:53 PM GMT on June 16, 2012
Good Morning, Pros ~ Glad to learn that your recent health concerns seem to be somewhat stabilized at present. Major kudos on your beloved grandson's celebratory academic achievements upon his graduation day from middle school! It sounds like he has a very bright, grounded and notable future ahead of him! This year, he has gone through quite the rites of passage, i.e., first his confirmation at church and, now, middle onto high school. He should have no problem adjusting to the more challenging curriculum and activities when entering high school this fall. So nice to see Kat posting again! I certainly hope she and her hubby are located in those much safer spots of Colorado, especially, during the ongoing outbreaks of massive wildfires spreading throughout its more northern territories. So scary to see how many acres have already been consumed! Hugs and prayers to you, yours and nearby friends, Kat! Pros ~ Hope your Saturday provides you with some welcoming sunshine and comfortable temps in which to take that early morning stroll amongst your roses. It must fill you with much inspiration while attending those subsequent Sat. am art classes! ENJOY! Member Since: June 21, 2006 Posts: 52 Comments: 7117

109. Proserpina 8:36 PM GMT on June 16, 2012
Hi Mass, thank you so much for the kind words, kudos, etc. Today has been a beautiful day. I did walk around the yard and after I got back from my class, I took Koko for a walk. However I spent the rest of the day finishing up my part II of the Paper Blog. Now I am ready to go feed Koko, and maybe I will eat something as well. A book is waiting as is the crossword puzzle, so time for relaxation. I hope your day has been a pleasant one. Enjoy your evening Mass. Member Since: May 6, 2008 Posts: 152 Comments: 16717

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