Papyrus

From ancient Pharos to 21st Century water wars, papyrus is a unique plant that is now the fastest growing plant species on earth. It produces its own "soil"-a peaty, matrix that floats on water-and inspired the fluted columns of the ancient Greeks. In ancient Egypt, the papyrus bounty from the Nile delta provided not just paper for record keeping-instrumental to the development of civilization-but food, fuel and boats. Disastrous weather in the 6th Century caused famines and plagues that al...