This course will provide a brief overview of the main elements of Latin palaeography, concentrating on scripts of the later medieval period (1100-1500).  Whilst showing the most common abbreviation symbols and the evolution of letter forms, the course will consist of practical exercises, transcribing several different types of script.  Participants must have at least elementary Latin in order to benefit from the course.  It would be useful if they could indicate whether they have any previous experience of palaeography when applying.

Bibliography:
B. Bischoff, Latin Palaeography: Antiquity and the Middle Ages , transl. from German by D. O'Croinin and D. Ganz (Cambridge, 1990);
M.P. Brown, A Guide to Western Historical Scripts from Antiquity to 1600 (London, 1990);
S.H. Thomson, Latin Bookhands of the Later Middle Ages (Cambridge, 1969);
L.C. Hector, The Handwriting of English Documents , 2 nd edn (London, 1968);
E.A. Gooder, Latin for Local History , 2 nd edn (London, 1978).

Maximum: 20 students
AV: flipchart

Please bring a pencil: pens are not allowed when valuable manuscript facsimiles are in use