Papyrus, parchment made from animal skins, and even bamboo were used as writing surfaces before the invention of modern paper, which originated in China in the 2nd century AD as a replacement for silk. Paper was made from pulped wood, hemp, or linen and spread from China along the Silk Road, reaching the Islamic world by the 8th century and Europe through Spain around 1100, eventually becoming widespread globally as a replacement for earlier writing materials.

1. Short History of Paper
According to Wikipedia

2. What did we used to write on
before paper?

Papyrus:
Laminate of a
papyrus stalk

3. What did we used to write on
before paper?

Parchment
Made from
animal skins

4. What did we used to write on
before paper?

Even Bamboo

5. What is Modern Paper?

What we think of as modern paper is
something like wood, hemp or linen
that has been pulped and pressed to
make paper.

6. Paper was first invented in China
in around the 2nd century AD

It was a replacement for silk
◦ There was high demand for silk west of
China along the Silk Road

7. Next Stop – The Islamic World

It reached Uzbekistan by
751, Baghdad by 793, Egypt by
900, and Fes, Morocco around 1100

8. Paper in Europe

Around 1100 paper had started to
reach Europe through the Iberian
Peninsula

9. From Asia to Europe and then
the rest of the world
The End