How was papyrus made?
Ancient Egyptians made papyrus from the woody stems of Cyperus papyrus, a plant in the sedge family (Cyperaceae). Diagnostically, sedges have a stem that is triangular in cross-section, three “ranks” of leaves, and flowers borne in an arrangement characteristic of graminoid (grass-like) plants. To make papyrus, the tough, deep green epidermal layer of the stems is peeled away, leaving only the pale, fibrous pith. The pith is cut into strips, which are laid side-by-side in two alternate, overlapping, non-woven layers. This sheet is pounded to release a sticky sap that binds the layers together, flattened further, and burnished with a stone to make the surface smooth. Several layers of papyrus were bonded together to make a scroll. To see a slideshow of modern papyrus making, visit http://www.lib.umich.
