Introduction to Palaeography and Manuscript Studies

Five Day Course: 9-13 June 2025

This course introduces students to key skills for the study of medieval manuscripts, from the making of parchment to reading text and imagery. The course is designed for beginners, with no previous experience or language skills. It is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students, those working in libraries and archives, and anyone with an interest in medieval books.   

By the end of this course students should:  

• Be able to describe the structure and contents of a range of manuscript material using appropriate vocabulary.  
• Be able to transcribe text from a manuscript.  
• Demonstrate awareness of choices made in the process of transcribing text and relevant debates about editing processes.  
• Be aware of a range of resources for working with manuscripts and able to apply these appropriately in their work.  
• Be ready to proceed to more specialist study.