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

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

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

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

• Vellum
• Papyrus
• Paper
• Bookbinding

References

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