Archival Sources (5 ECTS)

This course deals with several kinds of archival sources as basis for research on finances and on material and administrative culture in the Late Middle Ages. At one point or another, most of us will have to deal with accounts, charters or other archival material as a source of our research. These sources have many advantages: they can be dated; they can be located; they usually fit within a clear organizational structure, and they have been handed down in relatively large quantities. Nevertheless, the heuristics, the positioning of the sources and their interpretation requires specific expertise. That is what this course is about. While the sessions can be in English, (basic) knowledge of (Middle) Dutch is required due to the nature of the source material.