Within this field the digital turn has impacted the discipline massively. A few decades ago manuscript scholars could only study the materiality of manuscripts in special collections, and only search for evidence through catalogue descriptions and secondary literature. Now it is possible to access thousands of digital images of manuscripts and conduct research in distant, quantitative ways. New, non-invasive techniques have been developed to reveal material features that were previously invisible, such as marks and drawings scratched into the parchment, barely visible traces of fingers that touched the book, and even residues of bodily fluids. The second main topic of this course is precisely this: which new techniques have been developed to research medieval handwritten materials, and how do they change Manuscript Studies as a field of research?

This course will be take place over two full days (9-10 June 2025). It will include presentations by the coordinators, Irene van Renswoude and Mariken Teeuwen, as well as guest speakers. Additionally, the course will have a strong hands-on component: through exercises and assignments, participants will engage in the art of observation and description, and experiment with digital techniques.

Teachers

Prof. Dr M. Teeuwen (Leiden/Huygens): m.j.teeuwen@hum.leidenuniv.nl (coordinator)
Prof. Dr I. van Renswoude (UvA/Huygens)

Registration

To register, please send an email to: ozsmed@hum.leidenuniv.nl.

Maximum number of participants: 15