>
>I have read that early Pali texts were written on leaves but I am
>having trouble understanding this. How do you make a clear
>mark on a leaf, and how long does a leaf remain readable?
>What kind of leaves are used -- large leaves such as banana?

Hi,

Perhaps someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the
leaves used were palm leaves and that the technique was to scratch
the writing with a stylus, and then rub powdered pigment over the
surface. The pigment fastens in the scratched parts.This might
explain the typically rounded shapes of southern alphabet systems. A
long straight line would split the leaf along it's grain. The
prepared leaves don't last very long -- a few centuries at most -- in
part because of the tropical climate in which they're usually stored.

hope this helps,

/Rett