Paper was invented in ancient china during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and spread slowly to the west via the Silk Road, arriving in the Muslim world in the 8th century and spreading west from there. Papermaking and manufacturing in Europe was started by Muslims living on the Iberian Peninsula (today's Portugal and Spain) and Sicily in the 10th century, and slowly spread to Italy and Southern France, reaching Germany by 1400. Earlier, other paper-like materials were in use, including papyrus, parchment, palm leaves, and vellum, but all of these were derived from materials which were expensive or in limited supply, or required extensive hand-processing to produce a satisfactory finish. Paper, being made from wood or rags, could be produced anywhere, and once large scale production techniques had been developed it could be manufactured in almost any quantity at moderate cost.