How to store papyri?

click fraud protection

how to store papyri in ancient Egypt?After the scrolls had already become one of the most important means of transmitting information from generation to generation.The Egyptians had a highly developed technical capabilities for its time, astronomical and medical knowledge.Obviously, recording and transfer of information are effective for their important.But papyrus stored in such a case?Try to understand.

how to store papyri?Short answer lies in the very manufacturing technology

Papyrus, which was widely used by scribes in Ancient Egypt, is in fact stem from glued strips.Indeed, the very title of this paper comes from the papyrus plant, which grows in abundance in the marshes of northern Africa, and stems which were used by the ancient writing material for manufacturing.His knowledge of the technology of this "paper" modern scientists-historians, not least obliged to just one of the ancient Egyptian scribes Theophrastus who left such records.Strips cut from the papyrus stalk, after which they go through a process of careful alignment and overlap.The edges were held together with glue.Of course, severely strip sorted by quality.It depended on the length of life of future rollouts.After that, placed on top of an additional band, which is also attached with glue.When the sheet of papyrus was ready, he was placed in a press, where output is already dry and usable.

As papyrus was stored until use

thus prepared sheet of paper Egyptian could be very different lengths.Typically, they were stored in the form of scrolls.For extension was necessary only to end it all add a new band.The most impressive such a roll of papyrus, extant, has a length of more than forty meters.The color of this paper at different times it was light brown, then black.Over the centuries, several technologies have changed, and the papyrus grew lighter: cream, and later almost white.

how to store scribbled

papyrus scrolls neatly rewound laces made from linen or papyrus from the same.Units are sometimes laces were fixed clay seal.Important for the state scrolls, usually placed in a special wooden box.For example, the famous papyri that have survived to the present day - Papyrus Well Papyrus Harris - were found by archaeologists was in these boxes.Their casings were cemented clay seals on which were depicted scarabs.More driving papyri: all sorts of documents, letters and other - the ancient Egyptians were stored, usually in clay pots.

Papyrus in Europe

We know it as the main means for the records of the ancient Egyptian papyrus and associate with them, first of all.However, the ancient civilization had learned a lot from the Egyptians.For example, in ancient Greece and Rome, papyrus was used extensively throughout their existence, until the fall of the Roman Empire.