papyruses
Egyptian writing surfaces
Papyruses is the English plural of papyrus, the ancient writing material made from the pith of the papyrus plant, which grew abundantly along the Nile.
The word can refer either to the plant itself or to documents written on sheets made from it.
Many surviving papyruses contain invaluable records of ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman civilization.
The alternative plural papyri, borrowed directly from Latin, appears more often in scholarly contexts.
Handwritten or typed originals
- parchmentTreated hide for manuscripts
- vellumPrepared calfskin for writing
- codicesBound handwritten volumes
- inscriptionsWords carved into surfaces
Dead Sea Scrolls · palimpsests · scriptorium · archives · libraries · illuminated · bookbinding · paleography
Professional document copiers
- hieraticRelating to priests
- demoticOf common folk
- inkWriting fluid
- calligraphyOrnamental handwriting art
script · transcription · inscriptions · composition · copying · annotations · texts · symbols
Symbolic picture-based writing
- NileAfrica's longest river
- pharaohsAncient Egypt's supreme rulers
- pyramidsApex-topped geometric solids
- Book of the DeadEgyptian afterlife guidebook
scribes · temples · tombs · mummies · Rosetta Stone · Alexandria · Tutankhamun · Cleopatra
Hollow-stemmed marsh plants
- pithCore or crux
- stripsNarrow cut pieces
- fibersThreadlike structural strands
- laminatedBonded between protective layers
woven · pulp · sedge · wetlands · marshes · cultivation · harvesting · processing
Stored data or albums
- archivesStored historical documents
- contractsEnforceable written agreements
- lettersAlphabetic characters or mail
- receiptsTransaction documentation
inventories · wills · decrees · petitions · administrative · legal · religious texts · correspondence
manuscripts
Handwritten or typed originals
- parchmentTreated hide for manuscripts
- vellumPrepared calfskin for writing
- codicesBound handwritten volumes
inscriptions · Dead Sea Scrolls · palimpsests · scriptorium · archives · libraries · illuminated · bookbinding · paleography · folios
scribes
Professional document copiers
calligraphy · script · transcription · inscriptions · composition · copying · annotations · texts · symbols · pictographs
hieroglyphics
Symbolic picture-based writing
- NileAfrica's longest river
- pharaohsAncient Egypt's supreme rulers
- pyramidsApex-topped geometric solids
Book of the Dead · scribes · temples · tombs · mummies · Rosetta Stone · Alexandria · Tutankhamun · Cleopatra · Ramses
reeds
Hollow-stemmed marsh plants
laminated · woven · pulp · sedge · wetlands · marshes · cultivation · harvesting · processing · sheets
records
Stored data or albums
- archivesStored historical documents
- contractsEnforceable written agreements
- lettersAlphabetic characters or mail
receipts · inventories · wills · decrees · petitions · administrative · legal · religious texts · correspondence · accounts
papyrusesparchment
Treated hide for manuscripts
vellum · clay tablets · stone tablets · wax tablets · bamboo strips
papyrusescloud storage
Online data preservation service
electronic documents · tablets · hard drives · e-books · databases
- papyrus scrollRolled plant-fiber writing material