Here's a simplified timeline:
* Ancient Mesopotamia (around 3000 BCE): The earliest forms of writing, including cuneiform script, were inscribed on clay tablets. These tablets were sometimes grouped together, creating a rudimentary form of "book."
* Ancient Egypt (around 2500 BCE): Papyrus scrolls were introduced, offering a more flexible and portable writing surface. These scrolls, often containing religious texts or historical accounts, were the dominant form of "book" for centuries.
* Ancient Greece (around 5th century BCE): The invention of parchment (made from animal skin) provided a more durable writing surface than papyrus. Greeks also started experimenting with codexes, which were early forms of bound books.
* Roman Empire: Codexes became increasingly popular, particularly for religious texts. The codex format, with its pages bound together, allowed for easier navigation and referencing of information.
* Early Middle Ages: Monasteries played a crucial role in copying and preserving books. Monks meticulously copied texts by hand, using vellum (a high-quality parchment) and creating elaborate illuminated manuscripts.
* Gutenberg's Printing Press (15th century): This invention revolutionized book production, making books more affordable and accessible to a wider audience.
Therefore, it's more accurate to say that books were a product of gradual development and innovation across multiple cultures and civilizations.