Secrets of Ancient Egypt: What is the technology of making papyrus?

The ancient technology of making material that replaced Egyptian priests and officials with paper, for many centuries, remained in oblivion. The reason for this is not only the state monopoly on the production of papyrus and the zealous protection of trade secrets, but also climate change in the Nile Delta and environmental problems. As a result, the last papyrus in Egypt is almost extinct. Only in the second half of the 20th century enthusiast Hasan Ragab concerned about the revival of this plant and the study of the possibilities of its application. It is thanks to his research that the modern man knows the process of making papyrus.

The meaning of papyrus for the ancient Egyptians

A tropical water-loving plant, related to sedge and related to the sychi, several thousand years ago formed impressive thickets on the low banks of the Nile in its lower reaches. Papyrus is a high smooth shoot, topped with an "umbrella" of narrow lanceolate leaves. The inflorescence of the papyrus resembles a fan, consisting of a multitude of spikelets. The triangular stalk of the papyrus is hard, flexible and durable.

It was used as a material for furniture, boats, rafts. From the shell, ropes, baskets, and shoes were made. The dried roots of the plant were used as fuel. A soft part of the shoot, which was under water, was used for food. The same part was ideal for making "paper".

Stages of manufacturing papyrus: splitting, "assembly", drying under the press, polishing, gluing

The lower part of the stem was cleaned from the shell, releasing a dense, fibrous and sticky flesh. It was split into thin plates 40-50 cm long. Modern technology involves soaking the strips for several days.

Finished plates (fillets) were overlapped on a flat surface, covered with fabric and skin: the first layer - parallel to the edge of the table, the second - perpendicular. At first, the width of the finished sheet was no more than 15 cm, but later the Egyptians learned to make quite wide canvases. During the laying process, the material was wetted with water from the Nile.

Then the sheets were placed under a press. It was necessary for the strips to stick together, and the papyrus became thin and uniform.

Nuances and little-known facts

What is the technology of making papyrus, it is easy to explain. The whole complexity was nuanced. So, the longer the papyrus was kept under the press or pre-soaked, the darker it turned out. It was important not to delay the process: the Egyptians preferred light material. The surface of the sheets was treated with a special composition that prevented the ink from spreading. It was made from vinegar, flour and boiling water. Taking out sheets from under the press, the masters beat them with special hammers and ironed with polishing stones, pieces of wood or bone. The prepared papyrus was dried in the sun. Then they glued together to make a scroll. The Egyptians paid attention to the direction of the fibers, so it was almost impossible to detect the "seam". Wrote, as a rule, on one side (which the Romans later called recto). The manufacture of papyrus in ancient Egypt was put on stream. They sold it with rolls: "cuts" and "by weight".

Papyrus in Antiquity

"Pa per aa," or "material of kings," the Egyptians themselves called their "paper". They began to use papyrus back in the 3rd millennium BC. E. The Greeks borrowed the term, somewhat changing his pronunciation. It should be noted that Egypt provided the entire ancient world with papyrus , and so it continued until about 800 AD. E. On it were recorded decrees, artistic and religious texts, colorful illustrations were made. In the 1st century AD E. Historian Pliny the Elder in his work "Natural History" touched upon the question of what the technology of making papyrus. However, the information given to them was rather meager in order to restore the craft.

According to Strabo and Pliny, there were several varieties of papyrus. The Augustinian, the Libyan and the Hieratic were considered the best at the time of the Roman Empire. Next followed the amphitheater (Alexandrian), Saitic and Teneot. They were all meant for writing. Also, the Egyptians traded "merchant paper" - a cheap "wrapping" papyrus.

Revival of trade secrets

"What is the technology of making papyrus?" - this question began to worry Hasan Ragab, the Egyptian ambassador in the Middle Kingdom, when he became acquainted with a Chinese family engaged in the production of paper in a traditional way. This was in 1956. Returning home, Ragab bought land for a plantation, brought from Sudan local papyrus and engaged in scientific research. Ragab and his students managed to make a papyrus, not inferior in quality to the most ancient samples. On it, talented Egyptian artists performed the murals: copies of the illustrations found in the tombs and original works.

It is still difficult to say whether the modern papyrus of Ragab will be as durable as the ancient Egyptian papyrus. In addition, the climate has changed, it has become more humid, and the papyrus spoils from moisture. It is also unknown how accurately Ragab reproduced the process of making papyrus. Perhaps he brought something of his own into him. But, one way or another, modern scrolls and decorative panels are successfully sold, and information on what the technology of making papyrus is available to every curious tourist.