------First Pass (italics indicate areas where I want to rethink the wording)-------
The Chinese culture, in the 2nd century B.C. has the merit of inventing this magnificent writing support, made based on vegetable materials like rice or bamboo. It arrived in Europe through the Arabs, so the first paper mills were installed in the Iberian Peninsula. Although it is logical to think that in the Arab zone the dates could go back to the 10th century, we have no documentary or archeological evidence of this, so we must delay the dating of this until the 12th century when according to some sources paper was already being made in the zone of Xátiva. From then on its diffusion throughout the western world was unstoppable, above all through Italy, where a paper of extraordinary quality was later produced.
---------Second Pass (aiming for slightly more 'academic' tone) --------
The Chinese culture, in the 2nd century B.C., owns the distinction of inventing this magnificent writing support, made from vegetable matter such as rice or bamboo. It reached Europe through the Arabs, so the first paper mills were established in the Iberian Peninsula. Although it is logical to think that in the Arab region the dates could be traced back to the 10th century, we have neither documentary nor archeological evidence of this, so we must delay the dating of this until the 12th century when according to certain sources paper was already being produced in the Xátiva region. Thereafter, its diffusion throughout the western world was unstoppable, especially in Italy, where a paper of extraordinary quality was later developed.
-------------The above was translated from the following text as an educational activity.-----------------
La cultura china, en el siglo II a. C., es la que posee el mérito de inventar este magnífico soporte para la escritura, hecho a base de materias vegetales como el arroz o el bambú. A Europa llegó a través de los árabes, de manera que los primeros molinos papeleros se instalaron en la Península Ibérica. Aunque es lógico pensar que en la zona árabe las fechas podrían remontarse al siglo X, no tenemos constancia documental ni arqueológica de ello, de manera que hay que retrasar la datación hasta el siglo XII, cuando según ciertas fuentes ya se fabricaba papel en la zona de Xátiva. A partir de entonces su difusión por todo el mundo occidental fue imparable, sobre todo por Italia, donde posteriormente se elaboró un papel de extraordinaria calidad.
Galende Díaz, Juan Carlos/Cabezas Fontailla, Susana/Ávila Seoane, Nicales (coordinadores). Paleografía y escritura hispánica (Libros de Síntesis,Historia nº 12) (Spanish Edition) (pp. 63-64). Editorial Síntesis S.A.. Kindle Edition.
