Long ago, before paper was invented, people wrote on many different things! 🌿 They used clay tablets, big stones, and even animal skins! 🐑
In some places, they pressed marks into wet clay with sticks. When the clay dried, the writing stayed! Other times, they carved words into rocks or wood. 📝
People also used something called papyrus, made from plants, to write on. It was like early paper! 🌱
Before paper, people got creative with writing materials! Here’s how they did it:
In ancient Mesopotamia, people wrote on soft clay tablets using a stick called a stylus. The clay would harden, preserving their words for thousands of years!
Some carved messages into stone or wood. The Rosetta Stone, which helped us understand Egyptian hieroglyphs, is a famous example!
Egyptians made papyrus from reeds, while others used parchment (dried animal skins). These were lighter than clay or stone!
Before paper, civilizations developed ingenious ways to record information. Here’s a deeper look:
The Sumerians invented cuneiform, one of the earliest writing systems, pressing wedge-shaped marks into clay. These tablets were used for laws, stories, and even shopping lists!
Egyptians wove strips of the papyrus plant into sheets. It was lightweight and easy to roll into scrolls—a big step toward modern paper!
Made from animal skins, parchment (and its finer version, vellum) was durable and reusable. Monks famously used it for medieval manuscripts.
In China, early writing was done on bamboo strips or silk. The Maya used bark paper, and some cultures wrote on palm leaves!