The word 'paper' is etymologically derived from 'papyrus,' a material used by Ancient Egyptians as a writing surface as early as the third millennium BC. Papyrus was made from the pith of the Cyperus papyrus plant, which grew abundantly along the Nile. Strips of the pith were laid out in two layers—one horizontal and one vertical—and then pressed together. The natural sap acted as an adhesive, creating a durable, flexible sheet. While papyrus served the Mediterranean world for centuries, modern paper actually traces its functional origins to China in the 2nd century AD, where Cai Lun developed a process using mulberry fibers and old rags. This Chinese method involved macerating fibers into a pulp and drying them on a screen, which is the fundamental principle of papermaking today. The shift from papyrus and parchment to pulp-based paper was essential for the eventual success of the printing press, as it provided a much cheaper and more abundant medium for literature.