The aim of this study was to examine the development of primary writing media from antiquity to the present and to determine how these processes influenced the accessibility, durability, storage capacity of records, and the extent of knowledge. A qualitative method was applied, based on the analysis of historical, archaeological, and cultural sources. The research included primary and secondary texts that shed light on the origin, use, and socio-historical background of different media. To gain insight into the information capacity of records, a comparison of selected examples was carried out. The findings show that the reasons for the development and abandonment of media were numerous and diverse. Clay tablets and papyrus scrolls emerged mainly as a result of social and technological factors, while the transition to parchment was also driven by economic and religious reasons, with technology playing a lesser role. In contrast, the emergence of the printed book was primarily based on technological progress, particularly the development of printing, and represented a crucial turning point in the evolution of records. The study concludes that the earliest transitions between media did not significantly affect the accessibility and availability of knowledge, which changed markedly only with the book and printing, a process that continues with digital media. However, due to the limitations of the research, many questions remain open and call for further investigation.
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