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In 1906 a man named Johan Ludwig Heiberg heard about a manuscript by
Archimedes that had been hidden since the twelfth century. It was a
palimpsest, a text that has been overwritten with other text. In the
Middle Ages, paper was scarce and manuscripts were recycled.
A.D. 105—Paper Invented
The Chinese invented paper. Early paper was made from hemp, which
was washed, soaked, and beaten to a pulp with a wooden mallet.
A.D. 500-1400—Illuminated Book
Specially trained Christian monks called scribes copied manuscripts
by hand into ornate, illustrated books.
A.D. 1456—Invention of the Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg invented the first printing press with moveable
type.
Today—Electronic Books
Now you can buy a handheld, multimedia reader that can store
thousands of electronic books.
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