Joshua Gordon
Document Analysis
ANTH 349
External analysis of the documents show that the paper in which it was written is of high rag paper which was in use until the industrial revolution at the end of the 18th century and therefore we may conclude it is consistent with the day claimed. The ink used was a pure black “India ink” known also as Chinese ink (A Short History of Ink).
This was the type of ink used to write the Dead Sea Scrolls in the third century BC, except the base was Cinnabar not the more commonly used carbon, so we know this type of ink is a known ink at the time and consistent with the claimed date of the document. Furthermore the ink is made from finely powdered lampblack which is a type of carbon held together by glue. The Chinese used small brushes with this type of ink instead of pens because even though it is a writing ink it had an even broader application as an ink used for drawing and was popular with artists for architectural design.
This may prove as a clue to whether or not there is any credibility to the theory that there was a third page to the document showing a map of the Ironworks and grounds since this is the type of ink used for technical drawing purposes such as these. The pen is described as appearing to have been a hand cut crow quill pen. The quill pen dates back to the sixth century and until the steel pen point was invented in the 19th century quills were the main writing instruments of the civilized world (Carter). Thus we may conclude this is consistent with the day claimed.
The penmanship is said to be of the style consistent with middle to late 18th-century English handwriting in colonial America and so it is also consistent with the date claimed.
Usage of language with the term “monkie” is a reference to a powder monkey and dates to the late 17th century. It continues to be used in some countries today to