Mr. Daniels wrote:

>I've been searching for years for evidence about the origin of
>parchment. Can you provide references?

Do you trust the Encyclopedia Britannica?

>> ...In 105 C.E., [Ts'ai Lun] introduced the Emperor to the
>> practical art of papermaking...
>
>Once again, some evidence regarding the specific date would be
>appreciated. It's unknown to Tsien, *Science and Civilization in China*,
>vol. *Papermaking*.

Dard Hunter is considered to be an expert on the subject. You might find it
interesting to pick up a copy of his book, _Papermaking_.

>> Vellum [Latin VITULUS = calf] is a kind of parchment. Whereas parchment is
>> made from split sheepskin and has no grain pattern, vellum is made of whole
>> calfskin (or, less traditionally, from other animals) and has a grain
>> pattern on the hair side.
>
>This distinction is based on the etymology of the word and is not how
>"vellum" vs. "parchment" is used by craftsmen today.

Just because many are content these days to think of vellum and parchment
as varieties of paper, for instance, is no reason to discount traditional
distinctions.

Randall Hunt