The Development of Writing Materials:

In early times, around 1000 B.C. the Sabaeans emigrated to Ethiopia and brought with them a written language whose inscriptions are found engraved on stones. Iron was also used as a writing medium. In the Hellenistic period when Greek culture found its way to AX UM. the common medium was stone. In the 3ra and 4’1′ centuries A.D. a variety of writing materials such as stone, metal clay and probably wood were used. Soft writing materials like, papyrus and skin had been used as writing medium whose introduction to Ethiopia seem to be the work of the Nine Saints in the fifth century. The Nine Saints had the knowhow and the country the material. So the manufacturing of vellum started which became the uncontestable writing medium almost for 1 or 500 years until the nineteenth century when paper began partially to be used.

The Preparation of Writing Materials:

Vellum: –

Vellum can be prepared from any domesticated mammals such as the ox, cow, calf, sheep, goat, horse and’ wild animals like lion, tiger, gazelle, antelope, etc. But goat, sheep, calf and horse skin are preferred from among the domestic animals and gazelle and antelope from the wild ones. Goat and gazelle skins are fine white and take ink very well.

Ink:-

Mainly two kinds of ink, black and red. were used and still are used for writing. The preparation of red ink is neglected nowadays due to availability readymade powdered red ink, its limited use and the rather complicated and laborious manufacture. There are six procedures of preparing, black ink.

Pen:

The straight and medium sized plants are cut and stored in a place where there is no smoke. When the bunch dries the scribe takes one piece and cuts it into pen size. It is scraped on only one side. When he finishes scraping he splits the nib with the same knife. The scribe prepares five or six pens at a time.

Ink Horn:-

 The ink horn is buried in mud or in cattle dung for 7 days and it becomes soft so very easy to cut and shape. The circumference of the tipper top is cut and shaped in the form of a pen.

Book binding:-

As a rule the covers of manuscripts in Ethiopia are wooden and rarely leather; woods used for cover are mostly oleo Africana, cedar and Cordia Africana. Using an axe to flatten and sharp kinfe, to remove the rough part of the wood, the surface is leveled and wax is added to smooth both sides of the board. When it is ready it is cut. to the size of the manuscripts and drilled at the left edge with a glow awl script. The binding starts from the front board using a cotton thread or oxen. gut string. Next to the board, there are two or. Sometimes four protecting fly leaves usually left blank. Then the quires follow in their sequence. The text ends leaving a few back protecting leaves which can also serve for continuation. Finally the back board is hound and both boards are trimmed on all three sides with a sharp kinfe. Some of the manuscripts, particularly those which have been commissioned by the emperors and high dignitaries are covered with leather and finally tooled.