Mummy's Wrap

      There is a word within the English language that is used every day, but few people realize this word’s roots are in ancient Egypt. The word “paper” is derived from “papyrus.” While “papyrus” is not the ancient Egyptian word for the plant, the correlation between the plant and paper would not have been made without the ingenuity of the ancient Egyptians. (http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/papyrus.htm).

      As the ancient Egyptians developed their written language, it became apparent that stone, while incredibly useful as a writing medium, was too cumbersome for some types of writings. Realizing this, the ancient Egyptians began to search for a medium that would be easier to use, more lightweight and more transportable. They found it in the tall reeds on the banks of the Nile (http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/papyrus.htm).

      Papyrus was known by one of two names in ancient Egypt: mhyt or twfy. It had many uses, the obvious being the making of paper. Stripping the outer portion of the stalk and laying the inner pith in two layers perpendicular to each other made paper. The sheet was then beaten flat and left to dry beneath a heavy stone weight (Manniche, Lise: An Ancient Egyptian Herbal). Papyrus was usually limited to a length of 47 centimeters, but was commonly sold in scrolls of about twenty sheets. It wasn’t until later periods that papyrus books, called codex, were found to be more preferable to scrolls (http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/papyrus.htm).

      Egyptians utilized the entire plant of the papyrus and used the fibers for making sails, cloths and mats. The plants were also braided to make ropes and sandals. Balls of papyrus reeds were used as jar stoppers and children’s toys. The mature stalks of the papyrus were also lashed together to make boats. The lowest portion of the stalks were considered a delicacy to the ancient Egyptians. Herodotus explains that this portion of the plant was baked in a vessel placed in the fire (Manniche, Lise: An Ancient Egyptian Herbal).

      Papyrus was also known to have medicinal properties. It was used to dry out wounds and as a compress for the eyes. The previously mentioned remedies were used both in pharaonic times and later periods, stretching to the time of the Copts. The Copts also used the ashes of the papyrus plant as a remedy for sores, nose bleeds, and was added to wine to induce sleep (Manniche, Lise: An Ancient Egyptian Herbal).

      Today, the plant responsible for the making of so many scrolls in the ancient world, Cyperus papyrus, is only found naturally in Wadi Natrun, Egypt. It is cultivated in Egyptian gardens, but no longer grows on the banks of the Nile in Egypt (Manniche, Lise: An Ancient Egyptian Herbal).

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Tags: coptic, copts, cyperus papyrus, fiber, herbal, Herbals, herodotus, medicinal, medicine, paper, papyri, Papyrus, plant, scroll

This entry was posted by Page Strong on Saturday, May 2nd, 2009 at 14:56 and is filed under Herbals, Papyrus. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.