The forerunner of our present day paper. Although the word paper is derived directly from Papyrus, Papyrus is not Paper !!

The difference is that papyrus is a laminated material made from thinly cut strips from the stalk of Cyprus Papyrus plant,  while paper is made from the completely separated fibers of any number of materials soaked and then sieved to produce thin sheets of matted fibers.

History

It is believed that papyrus was first used about 4000BC, and became one of Egypt's major exports
. Egyptian rulers realizing the importance of Papyrus, made its production a state monopoly, and guarded the secret of Papyrus jealously. There was no real competitor to Papyrus until, in AD 105 in China Ts'ai Lun, a court official, invented paper
 With the introduction of paper making into Egypt, the production of Papyrus rapidly declined, and stopped
 It is not until 1965 where an Egyptian scientist discovered the old lost secret of Papyrus hand-making.
Papyrus sheets hand-making once again became an important Egyptian craft, and the Egyptian artists found in it a perfect material on which to record the marvelous paintings of the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs.