[blam]

Dunhuang is the western most entrance inside the Great Wall Of China. This entrance is called the Jade Gate

Previous to this discovery, the oldest paper ever found was found in this region and had Tocharian written on it. (I don't know what it was dated)

[blam]

GGG Ping.

The Jade Gate

[blam]

The Tocharians supplied jade to the Chinese.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam.

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[RightWhale]

Paper was first made by observing the paper wasps, so the story goes. Other materials than wood pulp would produce other products such as vellum, parchment or papyrus. Papyrus may be the origin of the word paper, but paper refers to pulp.

[CobaltBlue]

Astonishing that paper would last so long.

I have observed, in my own library, the survival of books printed on non-acidic paper that are more than 200 years old, and the rotting from within of newer magazines and books printed on acidic paper.

Some day, what will be known of our own culture, as acidic paper and magnetic media vanish?