Papyrus reed paper was the first paper in the world. Papyrus is a thin paper-like material made from the soft, spongy inside of the papyrus plant. It’s a triangular reed which freely grew along the Nile Delta of Egypt. Due to its durability, lightness and strength, for thousands of years, there was nothing better for the purpose of writing. The earliest existing documented papyrus comes from Egypt’s 1st Dynasty, (c. 3100 – c. 2890 BC), but it is believed that it may have been used as early as 4,000 BC. Ancient Egyptians used papyrus not only as a writing material, but also in the construction of other things like mats, ropes, reed boats, baskets, sandals, mattresses, chairs, and tables. Our English word “paper”, actually comes from is the word “papyrus.”
The incomplete, two-page papyrus of Wenamen’s Journey as well as two other important ancient Egyptian documents were found in a jar where they were reported to have been discovered in an excavation at Al-Hibah, Egypt around 1890 by a Russian archeologist who specialized in the study of ancient Egyptian objects and works of art. The papyrus is now in the collection of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, and officially designated as Papyrus Pushkin 120.
Wenamen’s Journey is an extremely important historical document because it gives us insight about the conditions in ancient Egypt including their religious beliefs in various gods like Amon, their trading and shipping practices, and even the attitudes of foreign princes to Egypt’s claims of being the most supreme area in the region.