Palaeography
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| HIST4067 | History | 4 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- HIST4067
- School
- History
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
The module teaches an essential component required for medieval historical research: Palaeography. It is designed to be taken alongside the introductory Latin for medievalists module which introduces students, who have not studied the language before, to Latin of the sort used in medieval documents. This will be supplemented in the manuscripts module by studying typical medieval documents available in an edited format. The ability to read early manuscripts is a fundamental skill for all those interested in researching the medieval period. This course will introduce students to the various types of handwriting used in medieval documents. It will enable students to begin to read these documents in their unedited, manuscript forms. It was also encourage them to think about issues relating to codicology, illumination and transmission.
Target Students
Available to all MA History students
Classes
- One 2-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
Assessment
- 100% Coursework 1: Takeaway transcription exercise
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
The main aims of the module are to develop students’ skills in reading and transcribing medieval documents (most of which are written in Latin). This will deepen students’ understanding of the texts studied for other medieval modules and for the MA dissertation and prepare them for further doctoral study in medieval subjects.Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge and understanding:
- of various medieval handwriting types
- of the issues relating to the preservation of primary sources in their original manuscript contexts
Intellectual skills:
- identify different methods of translation and transcription
- think critically and imaginatively about the subject matter;
- identify and address key problems relevant to it;
- construct coherent and independent historical arguments of their own.
Professional and practical skills:
- to competently transcribe passages for research purposes
- form an argument based on appropriate research;
- identify and compare key arguments in those materials;
- demonstrate appropriate footnoting and bibliographical skills
Transferable skills:
- develop language skills and strategies for translating unfamiliar texts and decoding non-standard calligraphy or handwriting
- communicate findings clearly and coherently both in oral and written contexts