Papyrus is an early form of paper made from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that grows to 5 meters (15 ft) in height and was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt. Papyrus is first known to have been used in ancient Egypt (at least as far back as the First dynasty), but it was also widely used throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as inland parts of Europe and south-west Asia. Papyrus has played an important role in history. The oldest written papyrus rolls date back 5000 years. Did you know? The word “paper” is taken from the Greek and Latin words for papyrus. Papyrus is a plant which grows about 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 ft) tall and has a woody, creeping rhizome (underground stem). The leaves are long and sharp-keeled, and the upright flowering stems are hairless, soft, and triangular in cross-section. The lower part of the stem is as thick as a human arm. Papyrus grows in Egypt (the Nile Valley), Sudan, the River Jordan valley, and swampy areas of