Codicology and Latin Paleography

"Writing is excessive drudgery. It crooks your back,
it dims your sight, it twists your stomach and your sides."

MDVL 6000
Spring 2007

Home

This seminar provides students with a firm foundation in the discipline of codicology (the study of the manuscript book) and introduces them both to the forms of script used in writing Latin in the Middle Ages and to the cultural history of the medieval book. Students become familiar with the materials and techniques of medieval book production, develop their skills in transcribing Latin from original sources, and explore the role of the book in medieval society.

Prerequisite: one semester of Latin