Paleography, << `pay` lee OG ruh fee >>, is the study of ancient and medieval handwriting. It deals mainly with writing on perishable materials, such as papyrus, parchment, or paper. A related field called epigraphy focuses on lettering incised in stone, metal, or clay.
A major concern for paleographers is the form and use of various abbreviations and symbols used by ancient writers to save time and material. Along with other features of the manuscript, the writing style can be used to identify where and when unsigned and undated manuscripts were written, sometimes with great precision.
Medieval scribes used ancient styles of handwriting including rustic capitals, which used blocklike capital letters, and the more rounded uncial style. Scribes later combined these formal book scripts with less formal cursive, where letters are joined together. By the late 700’s, the Carolingian rulers of Europe encouraged more legible writing. Scribes developed the minimally abbreviated Caroline minuscule script for books and documents. This style combined new, unjoined, lower-case letters with the older capitals. A style called Gothic script or black letter, which had heavy lines, originated in Europe between 1100 and 1500. The clear and elegant humanistic script appeared in the 1500’s. It was developed from Caroline minuscule by Italian scribes who rejected the compressed and abbreviated Gothic script.
Paleographers study writing primarily up to the 1600’s, when printed works replaced most handwritten manuscripts. Jean Mabillon, a French monk, wrote what was probably the first book on paleography, De re diplomatica, in 1681.
