Technology · c. 2nd century BCE
Paper is invented in China
Fangmatan, Gansu (China)
The oldest surviving fragment of paper, apparently part of a map, was found at Fangmatan in Gansu and dates to about 179–141 BCE. Early paper made from plant fibres was used mostly for wrapping and padding, for example around bronze mirrors, and only later for writing.
In 105 CE the court official Cai Lun refined papermaking using bark, hemp, rags and old fishing nets, which is why he was long credited with inventing it.
Why it mattered
Cheap, light paper gradually replaced bamboo, silk and parchment, reaching the Islamic world and then Europe by the 11th century, and made books and records far more widely available.
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