History of paper a brief: Paper was first discovered in ancient China, and the first material used for writing was a "tree" called papyrus. These papyrus materials are not defined as real paper. It was first documented in China during the Eastern Han period (25-220 CE), usually told to a court official. Spread to the Islamic world during the 8th century. The algorithm of the 11th century was brought to medieval Europe. Later in the 19th century came the Western developments in the field of paper with the invention of wood-based papers.