* Papir: Han bemærker, at papiret er "af en ejendommelig art, tyndt og næsten gennemsigtigt", hvilket "ikke var almindeligt her i landet" på det tidspunkt. Dette tyder på, at manuskriptet sandsynligvis er skrevet i fortiden, måske med papir importeret fra et andet land.
* Blæk: Holmes doesn't explicitly mention the ink, but he might have observed the shade or its chemical composition to determine if it was common for a specific period.
* Skrivestil: Manuskriptet er en række "pindefigurer" piktogrammer. This specific style might have been popular at a certain time or might have been unique to a specific individual, allowing Holmes to infer its age.
* Indhold: Selve indholdet kan være en indikator for manuskriptets alder. The story depicts a coded message that, based on its content and themes, could potentially be tied to events or cultural trends of a specific era.
In short, Holmes uses his knowledge of paper types, writing styles, and the historical context of the content to deduce the approximate date of the manuscript. Han stoler ikke på en enkelt metode, men kombinerer snarere forskellige observationer for at nå frem til sin konklusion.