3000 B.C. Before paper was invented, early civilizations wrote on scrolls made out of the papyrus plant. Egyptians created sheets of papyrus by harvesting, peeling and slicing the plant into strips. The hieroglyphic scroll shown on the right is part of the Book of the Dead from ancient Egypt.
Historians believe the first paper was made from old rags and the bark of a mulberry tree.
Papermaking remained exclusively in China for about the next 500 years. In the 7th Century, the art of papermaking spread to Korea and Japan, where the craft reached very refined levels. Due to the paper's rareness and quality, the techniques for paper making were kept as a closely guarded secret. Later, a battle with the Arabs in 751 A.D. led to many Chinese being taken captive. The Chinese prisoners bargained for their freedom by revealing the secrets of papermaking.