Primary Sources: About: Paleography

"This page and the linked pages are not directed at those who are already able to read Byzantine MSS with ease, i.e. Paleographers, a skilled and erudite group of scholars. Rather the goal here is to present basic discussions, images, and a few useful tools to those who are interested in how we come to gain knowledge about the past, and to those just starting out with work on manuscripts. "

"This resource has been designed for students and scholars of early modern English letters, history, theology, and philosophy--for anyone whose research will embrace original English manuscript sources in this period. "

Paleography is the history and study of handwriting. Old scripts can be very beautiful, but sometimes difficult to read. This site presents over 100 carefully selected French manuscripts written between 1300 and 1700, with tools for deciphering them and learning about their social, cultural, and institutional settings.

The Italian Paleography website presents 102 Italian documents and manuscripts written between 1300 and 1700, with tools for deciphering them and learning about their social, cultural, and institutional settings.

Guides for learning Latin provided the UK National Archives. Provided to help beginner's and advanced learners to be able to read historical records from the period of 1066-1733 when Latin was the official language of England.

This site from the U.K. National Archives provides "online tutorials on Latin and palaeography will help you to read documents from the medieval period and beyond, through practical activities and useful examples."