Egyptians were the first to attempt anything like a book about 5000 years ago. They used papyrus, a dried reedy plant growing by the River Nile. Copyists wrote on this with a reed pen, then rolled it all up into a scroll. The Romans too made rolls out of papyrus, some of which were about 9 metres long. But it is difficult to find your place in a large roll, so the invention of parchment must have been a relief. This was made from animal skins and it was tougher and easier to cut than papyrus. By the 4th century there were books with proper pages you could turn. Early in the Middle Ages, the secret of making paper found its way from China to Europe. Paper was cheaper and lighter than parchment. But the only way to make a book was for scribes to copy it out, page after page, by hand. Monks were the most expert writers and copyists, sometimes decorating the words with detailed pictures and designs.

Because people had to work together on these projects, they also learned to organize their cities and government. After about 7,000 years ago, the early Egyptians introduced the use of copper and other metals, the first writing and the first sea-going ships. Until 5,200 years ago, Egypt was divided into two states. The two states were combined by the pharaoh named Menes.