Coventina's History Thread: History of Paper, Part 2! [View all]

Today, we learn about paper as we know it today:

Cai Lun's invention of paper took place in 105CE. He was a member of the imperial court of China, who became fascinated with the way wasps made their nests. Using that knowledge as a starting point, he took a mash of wood pulp and spread it across a course cloth screen. The dried fibers formed a sheet of pliable paper that could be peeled off and written on.

The new material quickly became a staple for official government business, for wrapping, and for envelopes. By the seventh century CE, the Chinese has even invented toilet paper!





18th century Chinese woodblock print of Cai Lun. (Invented portrait, as he lived before photography).