According to acheological evidence, paper is invented in China in the 2nd century BCE. The first primitive paper is made from hemp.
In 105 CE, Cai Lun, the director of the Imperial Workshops at Luoyang, officially report the invention of paper to the Han Emperor.
Papermaking spreads to the Arab world from the 8th centuries. It is imported in Europe as a commodity from the 12th century.