History In the second or third century AD, the Copts, early Christians living in Egypt, developed the Coptic binding. They folded a few sheets of papyrus together into sections. Then, adapting their technique of interlacing threads in carpet making and weaving, they used a chain stitch to bind the sections between wooden covers. Once parchment became available, it quickly replaced papyrus for the pages. This binding technique was used throughout the Islamic world and Eastern Christendom (Europe), and is still used in Ethiopia today. By the fall of Rome, in 476AD, parchment had largely replaced papyrus except in Egypt.
Vocabulary Folio- One sheet of paper folded in half Leaf- one half of the folio Page- one side of the leaf A leaf has two leaves and/or four pages Section-a gathering of folios (also known as signature) Sewing station-sewing holes in the gutter fold