What plant changed how history was recorded?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
January 1, 2002
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading—>Click here.
Assorted Killer Savings Garden Links—>Click here.
15% off all orders at Brushstrokes Fine Art with coupon code AFF-15. Offer expires 02/15/08.
Western civilization started along the banks of three major rivers in the Middle East—the Tigris, the Euphrates, and the Nile. The Tigris and Euphrates were home to the Sumerians; the Nile home to the Egyptians. Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus Linnaeus) grew in the Nile.
The Sumerians (ca 3500 BC) are credited with the first written language; ideographic texts (cuneiform) written on wet clay tablets using a reed stylus. Baked clay tablets were useful for census, tax records, and laws. But inherent difficulties like weight and storage space made clay impractical for most people. The majority remained illiterate and dependent on priest and ruling classes. The Sumerian civilization lasted about 1,900 years.
In the early years of Egyptian civilization, someone invented papyrus paper. Paper changed the dynamics of civilization. It made personal records and diaries possible. Paper took societies' legends and mythologies out of the hands of oral historians. Paper drove the need for education. As the society increased in complexity, the Egyptians found that even slaves required some education to perform duties. The Egyptian civilization lasted over 3,000 years.
Egypt exported paper to Palestine, Persia, Greece, and Rome. Paper production was kept secret; no Egyptian documented its manufacture. The first description comes from Natural History by Pliny the Elder in the first century AD. By then, the Romans were manufacturing papyrus paper.
The manufacture of papyri (papyrus paper) ceased around 1,000 AD with the introduction of linen paper by the Arabs. The ancient Egyptians were gone. Even Cyperus papyrus became extirpated (locally extinct) from the Nile. Interest in the Egyptian civilization would not be rekindled until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone.
The papyri exported over the Mediterranean world, held for us the ancient writings—Greek tales of war, Biblical texts, and documentation of Roman conquests. Stories of the ancient Egyptians were written in a few texts, but the legacy remained in the papyrus pages.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has posted a photograph of Egyptian vendors selling sheets of papyrus. To view the photograph, click on the link:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/getaways/102199/paprpix1.html
Earlham College has an excellent essay on papyrus including Pliny's description of its manufacture. To learn more about papyri, click on the link:
http://www.earlham.edu/~seidti/iam/papyrus.html
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading:
What tree changed the way the world communicated? Plants that Changed History - April 9, 2002
Why is this ancient grain making a comeback? Plants that Changed History - September 7, 2004
How did flax preserve history? Plants that Changed History - April 29, 2003
Rice Paper Plant (Tetrapanax papyriferus) Plant of the Week - March 4, 2002
Killer Savings Links:
Breck's Bulbs -$25 off—>Click here.
Gurney's Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Henry Fields Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Spring Hill Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Gardens Alive! -$20 off—>Click here.
Michigan Bulb -$20 off—>Click here.
Unique Professionally Designed Gardens
Springhill Nursery®
Spring Hill Nursery has unique gardens professionally designed by experts to take the guesswork out of gardening. Whether you are looking for a three season garden, foundation garden, or a garden to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, Spring Hill Nursery has created a step-by-step design just for you.
Click here - $20 off your first order at Spring Hill Nursery!
|
BACK TO TOP
