Beginner • history
The Invention of Paper
118 words • Estimated 1 min read
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Before paper was invented, people wrote on clay tablets, animal skins, and sheets of wood. These materials were heavy and difficult to store. Around the year 105 AD, a Chinese official named Cai Lun invented paper. He made it by mixing tree bark, old rags, and hemp with water. He mashed the mixture into a wet pulp, pressed out the water, and let it dry in the sun. This created a lightweight, flat sheet of paper that was perfect for writing with ink. The invention of paper made it much easier to write books, keep records, and share ideas. The art of papermaking slowly spread from China to the rest of the world, changing how humans communicate forever.
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