Parchment
Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves, and goats. It has been used as a writing medium for over two millennia. Vellum is a finer quality parchment made from the skins of young animals such as lambs and young calves.
History[edit | edit source]
The term parchment evolved (via the Latin pergamina) from the name of the city of Pergamon which was a thriving center of parchment production during the Hellenistic period. The city so dominated the trade that a legend later arose which said that parchment had been invented in Pergamon to replace the use of papyrus which had become monopolized by the rival city of Alexandria.
Production[edit | edit source]
Parchment is made by removing the flesh side and hair from the skin and then stretching it on a wooden frame. While it is still wet, the parchment maker scrapes the surface with a special curved knife. To create tension, makers would need to scrape the wet skins on both sides, then create an even, firm tension in the grain side.
Uses[edit | edit source]
Parchment has been used for many purposes, primarily for writing, but also for bookbinding, and for various other uses where a tough, but flexible material was needed.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD