old parchment

Evidence

"he mentions the fact that he saw in Gazna, in modern Afghanistan, a book of astronomical tables (Z¬™) written on old parchment with dates according to the Diocletian Era, and that in an appendix there were additions by a scholar with records and dates of solar eclipses that had been observed between 90 and 100 Hi™ra."

Remarks

Fuat Sezgin references al-Biruni's historical account in 'Taḥdīd nihāyāt al-amākin' concerning a parchment manuscript of astronomical tables (Zij). The manuscript contained primary data for solar eclipses observed during the period 90-100 AH (approximately 708-718 CE), which indicates the substrate was in use during the late Umayyad period. The manuscript also documented the latitude of Bust and the obliquity of the ecliptic (p. 18).