Paper
- The history of paper, both its use and the ways of producing it, is intimately linked to the Mediterranean and the many past and present cultures that call it home.
- As early as 3000 BC in Egypt a form of communication was invented which could be considered the origin of the modern writing system: papyrus. It was produced from a plant abundant on the banks of the Nile.
Later, in 300 BC, in Pergamon, a city in what is now Turkey, parchment was developed. Parchments were prepared from untanned goat, pig and donkey hide. - When the Arabs conquered Samarkand (in about 750 AD) they gained knowledge of techniques developed by the Chinese for manufacturing paper from vegetable fibers such as silk, rice, hemp, and cotton, and they took it to different regions of the Mediterranean in the 10th century, where rags became the main raw material for paper production.
- After 1660, industrial techniques began to be applied to paper production and these formed the basis of current techniques used throughout all the Mediterranean countries.
- Today, Mediterranean countries consume nearly 11% of the global paper and cardboard production, though there are notable differences in per capita consumption among countries. These differences are a symptom that consumerism affected the North shore to a higher degree. In the South shore much less writing and printing paper is consumed, and sanitary paper (napkins, handkerchiefs, toilet...) consumption is virtually zero. While something like using paper towels is commonplace in the North shore, in the South shore it is probably seen as a luxury or a waste.
25/08/2011 - 14:49
