This paper presents results from gas chromatographic/-mass spectrometric analyses of extracts of artificially aged paper, and compares the types and quantities of degradation products which result from different sets of aging conditions. The aging of Whatman #1 filter paper at 90°C and 100% relative humidity produces mostly glucose and xylose, which result from hydrolysis of the cellulose and xylan in the wood pulp-derived paper. Dry oven aging at 90°C and above yields product mixtures which contain very little glucose, which indicates that hydrolysis of cellulose is at most a minor reaction under these conditions. Dry oven aging at 150°C produces a mixture of degradation products quite different from those formed at lower temperatures.