The history of writing instruments, with which humans have recorded and conveyed thoughts and feelings, is the history of civilization itself. This is how we know about our ancestors and their life.
The handy sharpened-stone was adapted into the first writing instrument. Around 24, 000 BC, cavemen started drawing pictures with the stone onto the walls of their caves.
Before paper came along, people used clay or wax tablets on which they wrote with sharp objects such as metal sticks or bones. Around 6000 years ago, the Egyptians invented the first paper-like material called papyrus (纸莎草纸). The word “paper” actually comes from the word “papyrus.”
Another writing instrument that remained active in history for long period was the quill (鹅毛) pen. Introduced around 700 AD, the quill was a pen made from a bird feather. Goose feathers were most common.
When writers had better inks and paper and handwriting had developed into both an art form and an everyday occurrence, man’s inventive nature once again turned to improving the writing instrument.
| A．Then something was needed to write upon the papyrus. |
| B．The papyrus became the most popular material at that time. |
| C．Swan feathers were of high quality, being rare and most expensive. |
| D．Bamboo stems were better and much more expensive than goose feathers. |
| E．These were mostly the stems of grass, especially from the bamboo plant. |
| F．This led to the development of the modern fountain pen in the 19th century. |
| G．These drawings showed events in daily life like the planting of crops or hunting victories. |
