Contribution 2 - Ink and Papyrus

The Egyptians made black ink by mixing soot, gelatin, gum, and bee wax. They made many more colors but black was commonly used for writing. The Egyptians also discovered Papyrus and made paper out of it by harvesting the stalks then setting them in water to soften them up. Once the stalks were soft they laid out the strips in two layers, one horizontal and another vertical. They then pounded with a stone mallet. The starch from the papyrus plant kept the strips together. It was then hung up to dry then used for writing. I would show this in a museum by displaying a piece of papyrus with ink writing on it.