The Book as Artifact

Abstract

Chapter 1 lays out the methodology of the study. It introduces William A. Johnson’s theory of ancient reading cultures and Jan Assmann’s theory of cultural memory (kulturelles Gedächtnis) and cultural texts (kulturelle Texte). A key aspect of Johnson’s theory is the “bookroll-as-object.” He demonstrates that in some cultural contexts, the scroll as a material object became an emblem of group identity. A key aspect of Assmann’s theory is that texts cross the threshold from collective memory to cultural memory by means of textualization. Additionally, Assmann describes manuscripts as part of the decorated material culture of a group, and thereby also sees them as symbols of group identity. Both of these scholars point to how manuscripts, as part of a group’s material culture, contributed to the processes of identity construction and maintenance.