Parchment is made from animal skin, which is why old documents can last so long.

The longer version

Skin is mostly collagen, a tough protein that does not tear easily and can be scraped thin. Soaking, liming and stretching a hide on a frame produces a smooth sheet that takes ink well and can be scraped clean and written on again.

Unlike paper, it does not depend on imported fibre, and it resists damp better than papyrus, so it suited records meant to last. It is also heavy and costly, since one animal yields only a few sheets, which is why old books were often recycled and why thin, reused pages still carry traces of earlier text.

Where this entry sits

This set looks at ancient civilizations, old inventions, trade routes, calendars, and the ordinary objects people once used every day. Nothing here is advice or opinion, just short notes about how daily life used to be organised long ago. The full list sits on the History page, where every entry is listed in order.