Lontara or lontaraq (ᨒᨚᨈᨑ) are Bugis-Makassar palm-leaf manuscripts that record knowledge on such topics as history, science, custom, and laws. The term originates from the Javanese/Malay word lontar, which is the name of the palm tree Borassus flabellifer that provides the leaves used.
The types of lontara includes
Palm-leaf manuscripts are manuscripts made out of dried palm leaves. Palm leaves were used as writing material in the Indian subcontinent, dating back to as early as the 5th century BCE. Their use began in India and spread to other regions, such as Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, in the form of dried and smoke-treated Palmyra or talipot palm leaves.Their use continued until the 19th century when the printing press replaced hand-written manuscripts.
One of the oldest surviving complete palm leaf manuscripts is a Sanskrit Shaivism text from the 9th century, discovered in Nepal, and now preserved at the Cambridge University Library. The Spitzer Manuscript is a collection of palm leaf fragments found in Kizil Caves, China. They are dated to around the 2nd century CE and is in Buddhist hybrid Sanskrit.