Blank papyrus scroll 100 x 30 cm with wooden rods based on the Roman model
Quick overview
The blank papyrus scroll is a writing scroll made of genuine Egyptian papyrus, 100 cm long and 30 cm wide, mounted on two turned beechwood rods based on the Roman volumen. It allows rolling and unrolling from both sides, just like in ancient libraries, and serves as an authentic basis for certificates, invitations, and educational projects. Each scroll is handmade in Germany under the Forum Traiani ® brand.
Papyrus scroll 100 x 30 cm at a glance
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Material: genuine premium papyrus from Egypt, end rods made of natural turned beechwood
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Date of the model: Roman book scroll (volumen), 3rd century BC to 4th century AD
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Archaeological reference object: around 1,800 carbonized papyrus scrolls from the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, buried during the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79
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Ancient source: Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia XIII, 74–82 (papyrus production and nine quality grades)
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Usable surface: approx. 100 × 30 cm, can be unrolled and rolled up again as often as desired
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Production: handmade in Germany, Forum Traiani ® brand
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Distribution in the shop: over 3,200 units sold (as of 2026)
What exactly is a Roman papyrus scroll?
The Roman papyrus scroll, in Latin volumen, was the dominant book form in the Mediterranean world from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD. The clearest archaeological evidence for this can still be found today in the Biblioteca Nazionale di Napoli: around 1,800 carbonized scrolls from the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius on 24 October AD 79. These scrolls are so charred that their contents have only been becoming readable again since 2023 with the help of micro-CT and AI (Vesuvius Challenge). As the archaeologist Horst Blanck notes in his standard work Das Buch in der Antike (C.H. Beck, Munich 1992), such scrolls were rarely longer than ten meters and were between 20 and 25 centimeters high.
From Egyptian papyrus to the Roman book scroll
Papyrus was made from the stems of the Cyperus papyrus plant. Individual sheets, called kollemata by the Greeks, were glued together into a continuous strip. The liquid contained in the plant sap served as a natural adhesive. The most detailed ancient instructions for this process were provided by Pliny the Elder, whose description still serves as a reference today (Ad fontes, University of Zurich). The Greeks adopted the material from Egypt, and in Rome the papyrus scroll only became widespread from the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC onward.
The role of the umbilicus
To protect the end section, Roman book makers glued a thin wooden rod to the edge of the last kollema. This rod was called the umbilicus, meaning navel, and in more expensive editions it was painted in color. Ancient original scrolls generally had only one such rod at the end. Our replica follows a more modern interpretation with rods glued to both sides, because this makes rolling and unrolling more stable in classroom use and on display tables. Not every detail is historically certain down to the last point: whether rods at both ends occurred in individual cases cannot be conclusively proven from the carbonized finds from Herculaneum.
The Roman reading image
What reading a scroll looked like in practice is shown by the fresco of Terentius Neo from Pompeii (1st century AD), now in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. The man holds a rotulus to his chin, thereby signaling education and civic status. Reading was done with both hands: the right hand unrolled, the left hand rolled it back up. After reading, the scroll had to be completely rolled back so that the title was once again at the beginning.
Which writing material fits which period?
| Writing material |
Period and region |
Material and production |
Matching replica in the shop |
| Papyrus scroll (volumen) |
3rd century BC to 4th century AD, Roman Mediterranean region |
kollemata made from Cyperus papyrus, glued onto an umbilicus
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Papyrus scroll 100 x 30 cm (item no. 10176) |
| Parchment (membrana) |
from the 2nd century BC onward, Pergamon, later Europe |
tanned and scraped animal skin from sheep, goat, or calf |
Parchment scroll |
| Wax tablet (tabula cerata) |
1st century BC to the Middle Ages, Roman Empire |
wooden frame with black beeswax filling, stylus made of metal |
Wax tablet with stylus |
| Ostracon |
5th century BC to Late Antiquity, Egypt and Greece |
potsherd written on with ink or incised with a stylus |
(not in the range) |
| Iron gall ink |
3rd century BC to 20th century AD |
oak gall, iron sulfate, gum arabic, water |
Iron gall ink for papyrus |
How do teachers use the papyrus scroll in class?
In museum education and in Latin and history classes at lower and upper secondary level, the blank papyrus scroll has established itself in recent years as a tactile anchor for the topic of ancient book culture. Our experience from working with schools and institutions such as the Carnuntum Archaeological Park and the Dominican Museum in Rottweil shows this clearly: as soon as students hold a real papyrus sheet in their hands, they understand within minutes why the codex became more practical than the volumen in the 4th century. The material feels rougher than expected, it smells vegetal, and it visibly breaks along the direction of the fibers. This exact moment of friction stays in the memory.
Our specific tip for teachers is: let the scroll first be passed across the classroom before anything is written on it. Most children have never held a plant-based writing material in their hands, and the quiet amazement before the first line is the best possible introduction to a lesson on Pliny, Cicero, or Caesar.
Who benefits from the blank papyrus scroll?
The scroll serves several clearly distinct usage scenarios, and buying it is not equally worthwhile for everyone. Anyone who wants to create a birthday card or a wedding invitation in an ancient scroll format gets plenty of writing space with the 100 x 30 cm format and a gift the recipient certainly will not throw away. If you are a Latin teacher or museum educator, the scroll serves as illustrative material for Roman book culture and can be expanded into a three-hour project with a reed pen (calamus) and iron gall ink. Reenactors and living history performers, finally, use the scroll as a prop for civilian scenes, for example for a citizen register, a will, or a campaign message.
Frequently asked questions about the 100 x 30 cm papyrus scroll
What is the difference between papyrus and parchment?
Papyrus is a plant-based writing material made from Cyperus papyrus, produced by laying moist stem strips crosswise and pressing them together. Parchment is an animal-based writing material made from tanned, scraped skin of sheep, goat, or calf. From the 4th century AD onward, parchment became established together with the codex because it could be written on on both sides, folded, and was more durable in the climate of Central Europe.
How do I write on the papyrus scroll authentically?
Black or brown ink looks closest to the ancient model. Ancient scribes used soot-based ink (atramentum) or later iron gall ink, applied with a reed pen (calamus) or a cut feather quill. Modern fiber-tip pens also work, but their color does not look authentic. Write only on the smooth inner side (recto), because papyrus can bleed along individual fiber areas if too much ink is applied.
How can I recognize genuine Egyptian papyrus?
Genuine papyrus shows a clearly visible cross pattern of horizontal and vertical fiber strips when you hold it against the light. The surface is slightly uneven, and the edges look organic. Banana leaf imitations from the souvenir trade have a more regular, paper-like pattern. Our papyrus comes from an Egyptian manufactory and is further processed into scrolls in Germany.
Why does my scroll have two wooden rods instead of one?
Ancient original scrolls generally had only one umbilicus at the rear end. The two-sided attachment is a didactic adaptation for schools, museums, and reenactment, because it makes rolling and unrolling more stable and makes it easier for the scroll to lie flat on a table. For a purely archaeologically correct single-rod variant, we recommend a custom-made version on request.
How do I store an unwritten papyrus scroll correctly?
Store the scroll in a dry, dark place at room temperature between 18 and 22 °C. Direct sunlight bleaches the papyrus, and humidity above 60 percent encourages mold growth. Roll it up loosely, not tightly, and keep it in a cardboard tube or a fabric bag. Ancient Romans used cylindrical book boxes called capsae for the same purpose.
Can I use the scroll for calligraphy workshops?
Yes. The usable surface of around 100 × 30 cm offers space for Roman capitals, uncial, or cursive script. Plan at least 30 minutes per participant, since papyrus tolerates more writing pressure than paper and the ink takes longer to dry. For larger groups, we recommend combining it with a reed calamus so that the historical ductus is right.
Sources and further reading
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Horst Blanck: Das Buch in der Antike (Beck's archaeological library). C.H. Beck, Munich 1992, ISBN 978-3-406-36686-4. Standard work on the materiality, production, and use of ancient book scrolls. Search in the DAI Zenon catalogue
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David Sider: The Library of the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles 2005, ISBN 0-89236-799-7. Monograph on the only completely preserved library of antiquity.
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Wikipedia: Scroll as well as Herculaneum papyri (scientifically sourced, as of 2026).
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Papyrus Collection of the University Library of Giessen, including P. Iand. inv. 20 (Cicero, In Verrem II.2, 20 BC to AD 100): Ad fontes, University of Zurich
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Ancient primary source: Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia Book XIII, chapters 21–26 (74–82). Latin original text online at Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University
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Vesuvius Challenge: scrollprize.org, international research project for deciphering the carbonized Herculaneum scrolls using AI and micro-CT (since 2023).
“The spine of the book scroll consisted of a thin rod, the navel (umbilicus), around which the scroll was wound.”
— Forum Traiani ®, Roman Libraries
Forum Traiani ® | Der Römer Shop - We make history tangible!
Updated on: 20/04/2026
