Since approximately 105 CE the Chinese had been creating paper as we know it from tree bark, hemp, old rags, and fishing nets. Other countries had their own versions of 'paper' but none have survived in wide use today, due to the advantages of paper over these mediums. The ancient Egyptians formed scrolls from the papyrus plant, pressing layers and layers of moistened leaves on top of each other. In Europe, parchment, or 'vellum' which was made from tanned animal hides, was used. Paper, however, was easy to make, the materials from which it was made were easily accessible, and it was flexible and quickly made. Having made the first paper, the Chinese went on to invent other paper-related technologies. The paper phenomenon spread throughout Asia and the Middle East. It was eventually brought to Europe, by the Moors. So the legend goes, an imprisoned crusader escaped China, returning with the secret of making paper. T'sai Lun, aged 55 at the time of his discovery, was purportedly deified as the god of papermakers! However, recent archaeological evidence shows that forms of paper had been used in China for well over two centuries before the time of T'sai Lun, or Cai Lun, as he was also called. Either way, he is still hailed as the inventor of writing paper.