Plywood is a versatile polymer wood composite that has been around for quite a long time.  But before we get into that one needs to know exactly what plywood is.  Plywood is basically made up of an uneven number of thin layers of wood called veneer joined together by an adhesive either synthetic or natural.  The veneers are joined with the grain direction of adjacent layers perpindicular to one another.  This is done because wood is strongest along the grain as opposed to across the grain.
 
 

    Plywood is constructed in a variety of ways.  The amount of plys for example is varied or even core type between the laminant is varied.  Shown below are some images of a variety of plywood types.
 
 

Multi-Ply Veneer Core Construction	Three-Ply MDF Core Construction
Three-Ply Particleboard Construction	Five-Ply Lumber Core Construction
Five-Ply Veneer Core Construction	Five-Ply Construction with Banding or Railing

    Veneering and the subsequent creation of plywood was occurring before 1500 B.C.  by the ancient Egyptian civilization.  There is archaeological evidence of Egyptians veneering wood and using animal glues to adhere the layers.  The early Greeks and Romans admired and utilized the Egyptian technology as well.  Not long after plywood's ancient heyday historical events led up to the dark ages and for over a thousand years this sort of technology was lost.
 

    It was not until the 17th and 18th century that veneered wood was again utilized.  This time the technology was developed in Europe for furniture making.  In 1830 the piano industry in the U.S. began using plywood extensively and by the end of the 19th century plywood was used in all areas where solid wood had exclusively been used.

The technology for plywood manufacture has proceeded apace into modern times

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