Before paper was invented, what did people use as writing materials? What role did the invention of paper play?

China people first used tortoise shells as divination and writing materials, namely Oracle Bone Inscriptions, and then used bamboo slips to split bamboo into vertical strips as the main writing materials, as well as silk and other writing materials. In the west, people use sheepskin as paper to write. This kind of material is expensive and difficult to preserve, so before the invention of paper was introduced to the west, books in Europe were expensive. Until now, books in European countries are still very expensive, which may be the influence of your scroll tradition. China invented papermaking early, so books are sold cheaply ~ The greatest significance of the invention of paper is to speed up the process of civilization. The wisdom of predecessors can only be passed down by word of mouth before written records, but with paper, all wisdom crystals can be recorded in the form of words, and the speed of human civilization accumulation is equal to the overall rise of a step, thus greatly accelerating the process of civilization. (Personal humble opinion, no deep debate, for reference only. )