An important invention from China during the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) was paper. The process of making paper from rags or plant fibers was invented in China during the Han Dynasty and spread to other parts of the world over time. Prior to the invention of paper, people in China and other societies used materials such as bamboo slips, silk, and wood for writing and other purposes. The invention of paper revolutionized the way people recorded and shared information, and it played a key role in the development of education, literature, and other areas of culture and society.