HIST 10.05 Latin Paleography

Working with manuscripts is one of the most exciting experiences in research on the Pre-Modern era, a direct link to the past, its people and its ideas. But it can be daunting to approach a material literary artefact. This course is an introduction to the basic methods and skills of Latin paleography, from the Roman scripts of Late Antiquity to the Humanist scripts of the Renaissance. It is designed to introduce students to the skills and knowledge needed to work with Latin-language manuscript material produced (mainly) before the advent of the printing press. It will also examine how technologies of writing and communication changed as a product of political, religious, and social change. The course will cover paleography, codicology, and diplomatics. The course will meet in Rauner Library (or, occasionally in the Book Arts Studio). Students will work closely with manuscripts in the College collections, supplemented with digital images of manuscripts held in other libraries around the world. As a practicum, the course is a hands-on introduction to the work of the paleographer, and students will learn to assess, transcribe, translate, and interpret manuscripts in their historical context as pieces of historical evidence.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:SOC; WCult:W

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

Class of 2023 and Before Major Dist: EUR; Class of 2024 and Beyond Major Dist: premodern.