Making Papyrus
September 28th, 2007 by stolisano
We were taken to a very interesting Papyrus Factory yesterday, where they showed us step by step how papyrus was and is still made today.
In ancient times the papyrus plant grew wild along the banks of the Nile. There are similar plants native to Florida that can also be used to make papyrus. Why not try it out for yourself? You can look up directions on making and weaving your own papyrus here.
Cut and peel the stems of the plant and soak them in water. Take the inner side of the stem, peel it and slice it into thing layers, soak that in water too.
Weave the strips of papyrus in a basket form and lay them for several days under a heavy press to dry.
Papyrus lasts a very, very long time. At the Egyptian Museum today we saw beds from King Tut’s tomb where the base was made out of papyrus and is still intact, even after thousands of years.
3 Responses to “Making Papyrus”
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We are enjoying Egypt through your travels. It sounds like you are on the go 24/7. The children were interested in how papyrus was made. I printed the directions on how to make and weave it. If time permits, it would be a fun activity for them to try. We look forward to hearing about your next adventure. We miss you.
Take care,
Lisa
Clemente ask… How tall is the biggest pyramid ? Nick ask… How far do people travel on their camels? Did you see a Hippo on the Nile..Abigail asks. And Preston asks ..How long is the Nile River?We hope you are having a fabulous time on your Nile cruise..can’t wait to hear…Gatling class
Clemente, The biggest pyramid used to be 146 meters tall, but has lost 9 meters of its height through the years.
Nick, The people we saw riding the camels, are just on them for a short distance. They take tourists around the area of the pyramids.
Abigail, We have not seen any hippos, except carvings on temple walls. Our guide told us that there are still wild hippos in the Nile, but further south in Sudan.