Invention of Paper

The invention of paper is one of the most transformative technological innovations in human history. Traditionally attributed to the Han court official Cai Lun in 105 CE, paper was likely developed somewhat earlier, with archaeological evidence suggesting rudimentary paper existed in China as early as the 2nd century BCE. What Cai Lun did was standardize and improve the manufacturing process, creating a writing material that was cheap, lightweight, and versatile.

Before paper, writing materials were expensive and limiting. Bamboo strips were heavy. Silk was costly. Papyrus was geographically restricted to Egypt. Clay tablets were fragile and bulky. Paper — made from mulberry bark, hemp, rags, and later bamboo pulp — was none of these things. It could be produced cheaply from abundant raw materials, making written communication accessible on a scale previously impossible.

Paper spread slowly westward along the Silk Road. Arab armies captured Chinese papermakers at the Battle of Talas in 751 CE, bringing the technology to the Islamic world. From there it reached Europe in the 12th century, where it would eventually enable Gutenberg's printing press — a revolution that depended on the affordable writing material the Chinese had invented over a thousand years earlier. Paper's journey from Han China to the modern world is a perfect illustration of how technologies diffuse across civilizations, gathering new uses and applications at every stage.