Joshua Lerner
4th June 2003, 15:19
Does anyone know how to estimate or verify the publication date of a text? I have an archery manual in four volumes that I got at a used bookstore years ago, and I've been wanting to figure out how old it is. The information I can tell you about it includes -
- it looks really old, though it isn't completely falling apart.
- the last page of the last volume includes the authors' names and what I am assuming is the date it was written (not published). Both the reign (5th year of Shotoku) and the stem and branch (yin wood sheep) point to 1715. It also gives what looks like the publisher's name.
As much as I'd like to think the manual is actually almost 300 years old, I'm not holding my breath. It certainly looks like it's over 100 years old. Does anyone know of any resources for dating texts?
Thanks,
- it looks really old, though it isn't completely falling apart.
- the last page of the last volume includes the authors' names and what I am assuming is the date it was written (not published). Both the reign (5th year of Shotoku) and the stem and branch (yin wood sheep) point to 1715. It also gives what looks like the publisher's name.
As much as I'd like to think the manual is actually almost 300 years old, I'm not holding my breath. It certainly looks like it's over 100 years old. Does anyone know of any resources for dating texts?
Thanks,