Dating Of Documents

In the Archives we frequently come across documents whose bonafides are doubtful & therefore we have to ascertain the authenticity of such documents by their dating. Dating of document starts with dating of the paper of the document, which involves dating the origin of paper, constituents used in the manufacture and technologies adopted in the manufacture of paper & water marks. Although the first paper was made in China 105 A.D., paper making spread to Japan, Korea and other country of the East gradually. 

The Arabs learnt the art of paper making from the Chinese in 751 A.D. From the Arabs papermaking reached Europe through Spain in 1150 A.D. Germany started paper manufacture around 1320 A.D., England by 1490 A.D. & America by 1690 A.D. Paper reached India by the end of 14th century with the Muslim invasions. Early paper was hand made, made out of rags, cotton treated with lime and hand pounded. 

Vegetables stacks were used for sizing and chalk for loading. With the rise of the demand for paper, paper manufacture became a mechanized process and the source of fiber also changed. Most of the paper before 1860 consisted of rag alpha cellulose but after 1860, wood also came into use. With the use of wood and the process of digesting, extraction and purification of paper, Esparto came into use with Rag between 1861 & 1890.

Along with esparto came the use of Sodium Sulphite. In 1869 the use of ground wood pulp with rags started. Ground wood pulp is simply the ground part of wood without purification. Bamboo, Sabai grass fist came in use in India in 1919. Besides fibers, sizing is another important constituent for dating paper. While the earliest constituent was vegetable starch, gelatin came into use from 1337. Rosin sizing was introduced from 1835. With rosin sizing came the use of Alum precipitate. Rosin on fibers imparted good printing qualities at a cheap price. With the passage of time and after 1930, wax was also introduced along with rosin. The paper gradually started being sold by weight and therefore gypsum came into use for loading purposes to increase the rate. Titanium Oxide, Zinc Oxide and Zinc Sulphite were also used for improving the writing capacity of paper, whitening and opacity. Colored papers also came into use over time. 

Paper industry started using vegetable pigments from 1870. Natural Ultramarine was used in paper coloring around 1790 but synthetic ultramarine came into use after 1828. With the growth of the paper industry multiplexed paper came into use from 1890. Use of Foundrinie type of machines was introduced after 1930 to give smoothness to paper on both sides. Beating of pulp mechanically to give it a uniform blend was introduced in 1756. 

Calendaring was introduced after 1830. Water marks are genuine evidences for dating of paper. Different water marks have been used at different places and at different times. Briquette classification dictionary lists some 16,000 early water marks with illustrations, dates and other details. The earliest known watermark has been traced to the year 1282. The dating tests on paper are done more easily than on ink. The oldest ink is Indian or Chinese ink. Here lamp black is the prime constituent which is treated oxide of fish glue and molded into sticks. These inks were used, between 7th & 10th century. This ink was modified so that carbon black was used with gum or glue and it was now fluid. In the 19th century Iron Gall Inks came into use. 

These inks contain tamnic acid with Iron salts. This ink in contact with air becomes dark black but otherwise it is colorless. To overcome this difficulty some coloring material were added to increase its legibility. In the middle ages Verdigris or Metallic Inks were commonly used. From 1600-1861A.D. natural indigo, logwood, cochineal & similar vegetable pigments came into use. Supplementary dating evidence has much less value as dating evidence than paper and ink. 

Although the first paper was made in China 105 A.D., paper making spread to Japan, Korea and other country of the East gradually. The Arabs learnt the art of paper making from the Chinese in 751 A.D. From the Arabs papermaking reached Europe through Spain 1150 A.D. Germany started paper manufacture around 1320 A.D., England by 1490 A.D. & America by 1690 A.D.

Paper reached India by the end of 14th century with the Muslim invasions. Early paper was hand made, made out of rags, cotton treated with lime and hand pounded. Vegetables stacks were used for sizing and chalk for loading. With the rise of the demand for paper, paper manufacture became a mechanized process and the source of fiber also changed. Most of the paper before 1860 consisted of rag alpha cellulose but after 1860, wood also came into use. 

With the use of wood and the process of digesting, extraction and purification of paper, Esparto came into use with Rag between 1861 & 1890. Along with esparto came the use of Sodium Sulphite. In 1869 the use of ground wood pulp with rags started. Ground wood pulp is simply the ground part of wood without purification. Bamboo, Sabai grass fist came in use in India in 1919. Besides fibers sizing is another important constituent for dating paper. While the earliest constituent was vegetable starch, gelatin came into use from 1337. Rosin sizing was introduced from 1835. With rosin sizing came the use of Alum precipitate. Rosin on fibers imparted good printing qualities at a cheap price. With the passage of time and after 1930, wax was also introduced along with rosin. The paper gradually started being sold by weight and therefore gypsum came into use for loading purposes to increase the rate. 

Titanium Oxide, Zinc Oxide and Zinc Sulphite were also used for improving the writing capacity of paper, whitening and opacity. Colored papers also came into use over time. Paper industry started using vegetable pigments from 1870. Natural Ultramarine was used in paper coloring around 1790 but synthetic ultramarine came into use after 1828. With the growth of the paper industry multiplexed paper came into use from 1890.

Use of Foundrinie type of machines was introduced after 1930 to give smoothness to paper on both sides. Beating of pulp mechanically to give it a uniform blend was introduced in 1756. Calendaring was introduced after 1830. Water marks are genuine evidences for dating of paper. Different water marks have been used at different places and at different times. Briquette classification dictionary lists some 16,000 early water marks with illustrations, dates and other details. The earliest known watermarks has been traced to the year 1282. The dating tests on paper are done more easily than on ink. The oldest ink is Indian or Chinese ink.

Here lamp black is the prime constituent which is treated oxide of fish glue and molded into sticks. These inks were used, between 7th & 10th century. This ink was modified so that carbon black was used with gum or glue and it was now fluid. In the 19th century Iron Gall Inks came into use. 

These inks contain tamnic acid with Iron salts. This ink in contact with air becomes dark black but otherwise it is colorless. To overcome this difficulty some coloring material were added to increase its legibility. In the middle ages Verdigris or Metallic Inks were commonly used. From 1600-1861A.D. natural indigo, logwood, cochineal & similar vegetable pigments came into use. Supplementary dating evidence has much less value as dating evidence than paper and ink.