An Introduction to the History of Papyrus and Egyptology in Early Islamic Period

Like other authentic documents, papyruses are comprised of direct unbiased information about day to day activities of ancient Egyptians such as: administrative affairs, legal affairs, personal correspondence, etc. most of the papyrus-based documents of early Islamic period have been obtained from cities and villages in Upper and Middle Egypt their date going back to 8th to 11th centuries AD. This work takes up the importance and place of papyrus in registering the history of social, economic and political developments of Egypt in the early Islamic period and their use by historians in the correction of historical reports and the rectification of contradictory ones. Major works by prominent papyrus expert have also been reviewed in this paper.