From papyrus to print — five millennia of the written word
Egyptian civilization crafts papyrus from the Nile's reeds, creating the precursor to modern paper. Exported across the ancient Mediterranean, it became the dominant writing material for over three millennia.
In the Han dynasty court, Cai Lun perfects a pulp-based papermaking process using mulberry bark and hemp. The invention revolutionizes Chinese bureaucracy, art, and culture.
Captured Chinese papermakers at the Battle of Talas reveal the secret. Within decades, Baghdad becomes a center of paper production, fueling an explosion of scholarship, translation, and literature.
Movable type meets European paper mills. Books become affordable, literacy spreads, and the foundations of the modern world are laid — from the Renaissance to the Reformation.
Paper becomes an industrial product. The continuous paper machine, combined with wood-pulp processing, makes paper abundant and cheap — powering newspapers, novels, and mass education.
Against all predictions, paper endures — 400 million tons produced annually. From recycled cardboard to fine art, paper remains an essential part of human communication and creativity.
Still flying after all these years.