Historyofpaper

　　PaperwasinventedbytheChineseby105ADduringtheHanDynastyandspreadslowlytothewestviaSamarkandandBaghdad.PapermakingandmanufacturinginEuropestartedintheIberianPeninsula,today'sPortugalandSpainandSicilyinthe10thcenturybytheMuslimslivingthereatthetime,andslowlyspreadtoItalyandSouthFrancereachingGermanyby1400.InmedievalEurope,thehithertohandcraftofpapermakingwasmechanizedbytheuseofwaterpower,thefirstwaterpapermillintheIberianPensinsulahavingbeenbuiltinthePortuguesecityofLeiriain1411,andotherprocesses.TherapidexpansionofEuropeanpaperproductionwastrulyenhancedbytheinventionoftheprintingpressandthebeginningofthePrintingRevolutioninthe15thcentury.

　　Theword"paper"isetymologicallyderivedfrompapyros,AncientGreekfortheCyperuspapyrusplant.Papyrusisathick,paper-likematerialproducedfromthepithoftheCyperuspapyrusplantwhichwasusedinancientEgyptandotherMediterraneanculturesforwritinglongbeforethemakingofpaperinChina.Papyrushoweverisa"laminationofnaturalplants,whilepaperismanufacturedfromfibreswhosepropertieshavebeenchangedbymacerationordisintegration.