Papyrus was made from the papyrus reed that grew near the Nile. First, strips of papyrus reed were laid side by side on a large tray. Other strips of reed were then put across these strips. The tray that contained the reeds was then covered with water to help the reeds to stick together. After the strips were stuck in this way, the sheet of papyrus was beaten with a hammer and left to dry in the sun. Finally, the sheet of papyrus was poiished with ivory or a smooth shell in order to remove any roughness.