It is really difficult to overestimate value of an invention of paper for development of humanity. The passion for leaving the message to descendants, was peculiar even to those people who still lived in caves. However, as writing was not yet, they had to draw on a stone. By the beginning of our era the need for available material for the letter was felt not only by poets and writers, but also the government institutions which arose by then producing numerous regulations.
On what wrote to the invention of paper
When there was writing, people began to use natural materials for transfer of the thoughts and messages. In Russia, for example, applied to the letter barked with birches on which reverse side scratched letters. Strangely enough, several birchbark manuscripts even remained till our time and were found at excavation in Novgorod. Also ancient papyruses – the paper from natural vegetable raw materials consisting of the thin pressed strips put across each other remained. As writing material fabric, leaves, leather, wooden and clay tablets, but all these materials was used were or are too short-lived, or are very expensive.
China is the homeland of the inventor of paper
At the beginning of the 2nd century AD, in some sources it is mentioned 105, in others – 153, the Chinese inventor Cai Lun thought up absolutely new manufacturing techniques of writing material. This technology was very labor-consuming, but the diligence of Chinese is all recognized line of their national character. As raw materials for paper an internal, fibrous part of the bark removed from a mulberry tree was used. Fibers separated from an external part, mixed up with flax tows, shabby rags, scraps of fishing networks, straw, the bass removed from young stalks of a bamboo. Then all this was filled in with water and frayed in a big stone mortar to a condition of uniform gruel.
After that gruel gave all the best an even thin layer for drying on wooden frames between which the small grid weaved out of thin silk thread was tense. Water through it resembled freely, and wet homogeneous paper stock remained and dried pretty fast. Ready sheets of paper were accurately removed from frames and cut that they could be used for the letter and drawing. The inventor was waited by an award, and the technology of paper was carefully secret. But during one of the military conflicts with Arabs in 751, to them the Chinese workers before working on production of paper for the yard of the emperor were taken prisoner. A secret became known to Arabs who did not hurry to share with it too. Arabs at first did paper in Samarkand, and then production it began to extend. The paper made on manufactories of Damascus began to be exported to Europe where it received the name "Damask sheets". But, of course, it is necessary to thank for this invention Chinese.