UCL - Latin Palaeography

[GLOR2171]

[15h] 5 credits

This two-yearly course is taught in 2011-2012, 2013-2014,...

Teacher(s): Baudouin Van den Abeele

Language: French

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

By the end of this course of Latin palaeography, the student will be able to :
- recognize and define, the main types of Western writings by combining theory and practice;
- understand their evolution in the context of cultural practices in the West.
Moreover, he will have received a first introduction to techniques for reading relevant documents, and to the recognizing manuscript decoration.

Main themes

Examples at hand, the first part of the course lays out the major stages in the evolution of western writing, from the third to the fifteenth th century, and provides a first introduction to deciphering operations. Going beyond purely technical considerations, it illustrates palaeography's contribution to knowledge of the written culture of the late antique and medieval world.

Content and teaching methods

After defining the role and objectives of palaeography, the course successively deals with writings from antiquity and the high middle ages, Carolingian writing, Gothic writings, humanistic writing, each time placing them in the context of their development and utilization and provides a first introduction to palaeographic reading techniques.
Some attention will also be devoted to the decoration of manuscripts from the eighth to the fifteenth century.
Method : Formal lectures illustrated by many specimens of writing and illustration.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Prerequisites : Knowledge of Latin is recommended.
Evaluation : written examination bearing on theoretical and practical aspects.
Teaching materials : Student notes.
A syllabus including, notably, reproductions of specimens of representative writing.