Palaeographic Analysis Research Articles

Ornamental decoration of a dagger from Aytkulovo: results of graphic analysis

Bone ornamented items of the end of the Paleolithic — Mesolithic periods are very rare in the south of Western Siberia. While some of them have dating context, others are accidental finds. Despite the circumstances of their discovery and limited amount of relevant information, there is a need to consider the issues of dominant subjects, compositional morphology, technical execution of ornaments covering their surfaces and relations with the materials of adjacent territories, mainly the Ural region. The study presents the results of a palaeographic analysis of ornamental patterns (texts) created presumably in the Epipaleolithic and which are rather rare in terms of morphology. The study is focused on the ornament of a dagger from Aytkulovo. The bone artefact was accidentally discovered in July 1976 near the village of Aytkulovo on a shoal at the mouth of River Murlinka (Tara district, Omsk region). Stylistic and compositional analogues of the dagger in the Middle Irtysh region are unknown. The preservation of the artefact is satisfactory, which allows analyzing its ornamental composition. The dagger’s ornamentation consists of two iconic layers, each of them can be attributed to different chronological episodes (phases). Such combination of the non synchronous ornamental texts on a single artefact is a true rarity in paleoornamentology. While objects of the first ornamental layer form the frame of the composition, the overlapping additional elements of the second layer were added in a later chronological episode. The observed differences of the first and the second layers in specific taphonomic, technological, stylistic and graphic features raise the question of a chronological gap in their creation. The graphic and stylistic originality of the iconic design of the dagger suggests that its ornamental pattern can be considered as a “graphic dialect” belonging to a more global ornamental tradition (its preliminary name was “Ural-Chernoozerye”). The obtained results confirm the being-developed thesis about the existence of a single cultural community in the southern Trans-Urals and in the south-west of Western Siberia during the late Palaeolithic — early Mesolithic period. This community is represented by the local mutually contacting groups which used similar graphic principles of information transfer. The process of interpenetration and blending of local traditions led not only to exchange of technological innovation but also to emergence of the composite graphic “dialects” similar to the one in Aytkulovo.

The Zoroastrian Manuscripts of the Rostam Jāmāsb’s Family and a New Dating of Videvdād 4100

Abstract The manuscripts of two sons of Rostam Jāmāsb, Tīrān and Šahrām, are thematized in various works, including Mazdapour, Andrés-Toledo and Cantera, Boroumand Amin, Cantera, Martínez-Porro. One of the important manuscripts of this family is Videvdād 4100. Previous scholarship indicates that this manuscript was copied in 1871 AD. This date has been used as a basis for further orthographical and palaeographical analysis of this family’s manuscripts and for clarifying their relationship to other Avestan manuscripts. In this article, however, I argue that this date is incorrect. Furthermore, it has led to ambiguities in dating and interpretation of orthographical and palaeographical characteristics of other Rostam Jāmāsb manuscripts. Based on genealogical information from the colophons of the family’s Avestan manuscripts, as well as the results from other Zoroastrian manuscripts newly discovered, I review previous attempts to date the family’s manuscripts and offer a new dating for ms. 4100. I also aim to reconstruct the family tree of the Rostam Jāmāsb family as well as the history of their manuscripts. I argue that uncertainty of the calendar era in the colophons and marginalia yields incorrect results, highlighting the importance of considering all calendar era variants for correct evaluation of data.

Un computo astrologico in volgare del secolo XII

Abstract Now in the British Library, MS Harley 5402 is a collection of astrological treatises from different sources. It consists of two groups of texts, with the first, penned by a 12th-century professional Italian scribe, covering folios 1r-69r, and the second, added in the 14th century, running from folio 70r to 104v. Acting as a watershed between the two parts, folio 69 contains three short texts added by non-professional hands in a deplorable Latin, strongly influenced by the vernacular (Italian and Occitan). – A fourth text, in a variety of Old Italian, was inserted by yet another non-professional hand, with all elements pointing to the city of Pisa in the second half of the 12th century: this conclusion is supported by the palaeographic analysis carried out in this article. The Old Italian text, La rasione dele littere Julii inperator, discovered by professor Charles Burnett of the Warburg Institute in London, has resisted every attempt at interpretation until the present day: for instance, efforts to link this “method for calculating the letters of Emperor Julius” to the Julian calendar with its Dominical letters have proved fruitless. What is clear, however, is that we are looking at the oldest known specimen of Italian scientific prose.

Предложение за палеографски анализ на средновековната южнославянска кирилица

This article presents a descriptive model for the palaeographic analysis of South Slavonic manuscripts written in the Cyrillic alphabet. Starting with some general remarks on the status of Slavic palaeography as a discipline and the terminological problems affecting it, the three-part analysis is introduced and explained. The first part deals with the general aspect of the handwriting, with considerations of the weight and shape of the script, its proportions, and measurements relating to the angle of writing and the angle of inclination. The second phase consists of a detailed study of a selection of characteristic letters, considering their strokes and describing them with uniform terminology. The last part of the model concerns the grouping and counting of both external and internal elements that characterise the handwriting. Once the description process has been completed, the data obtained will be useful for accurately describing the copyist’s handwriting and, above all, for a subsequent more general comparison, leading to a much-desired scientific classification of South Slavonic Cyrillic scripts.

Leah Tether, Laura Chuhan Campbell and Benjamin Pohl (eds and trans). The Bristol Merlin: Revealing the Secrets of a Medieval Fragment

Few recent manuscript discoveries have aroused as much excitement and curiosity, both within academia and among the general public, as the Bristol Merlin fragments (identified for the first time in 2019). Tether, Chuhan-Campbell, and Pohl’s edition presents the seven fragments in a format that is accessible and easy to navigate, introducing the reader both to the fragments themselves and the principles that underlie processes of editing and translation. Through exploring the possible, as well as the probable, Tether, Chuhan-Campbell, and Pohl provide a vivid and compelling narrative that illustrates the importance of interdisciplinary scholarship while remaining aware of its limitations. The approach taken, which draws upon palaeographic, codicological, historical, and linguistic analysis, in combination with the extensive visual apparatus provided, offers a robust introduction to the Bristol Merlin fragments that is suitable for a diverse readership. Chapter one, ‘Codicological and Palaeographic Analysis’, sets the Bristol Merlin fragments in the context of other contemporary manuscripts of the Suite Vulgate du Merlin. Having identified two distinct hands at work, the editors use palaeographical evidence to substantiate their suggested date for the manuscript (1250–1275). The editors describe the differences between the two hands, alongside a comparative table of letters, and images of the junctures between hands. The chapter subsequently explores the fragments’ use first as pastedowns (evidenced by extant glue residue on the manuscript leaves) and then as flyleaves for a four-volume edition of Jean Gerson’s complete works (88-91/SR39). This analysis is supported with diagrams that show the order, orientation, and movement of the fragments, and images of the book clasps. The section closes with one of the chapter’s central ideas, that ‘it is just possible – if unprovable – that the manuscript from which the fragments derive had been intended, or at least was used, as an exemplar for the production of further copies’ (16).

Black inks under examination. Part 2: a case study of Carolingian manuscripts

With this paper, we would like to contribute to the study of black writing materials by investigating the black inks used in the manuscripts from monastic production in the eastern part of the Frankish kingdom, especially in the region of Lake Constance and in Bavaria, and dated to the period between the 8th and the 10th centuries. The corpus under study contains manuscripts with formulae, i.e. model letters and charters, besides numerous other types of texts with no clear separation between them (for example by titles).Sixty-three manuscripts have been studied with the aim of reconstructing the history of both their copying and their use. To this aim, we adopted a non-invasive approach that included near-infrared imaging and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for on-site measurements, supported by historical and palaeographic analysis. The results obtained in this project are compared with several other archaeometric studies of contemporary manuscripts with the general aim of understanding the use of black ink in medieval manuscripts.

A late Byzantine book inventory in Sofia, Dujčev gr. 253 (olim Kosinitsa 265) – a monastic or private library?

Abstract This study concerns an inventory of books, dated 1428/29, inscribed in Sofia, Dujčev gr. 253 (olim Kosinitsa 265), fol. 290r. Although the text was obscurely published in 1886, the vicissitudes of this codex over the following century impeded further research and the inventory continues to be overlooked in studies of Byzantine libraries, books and reading. A new edition, furnishing corrections and filling lacunae, together with a first translation and palaeographical analysis, provide a foundation for introducing this rare document and re-evaluating its context and significance. While the limited prior scholarship generally presumed compilation in a monastic library in 1428/29 and pursued inquiries based on that surmise, examination of Dujčev gr. 253 draws attention to annotations by a member of the Laskaris Leontares family, dated 1431-1437,which place the codex in private possession during this period. A survey of thirteen extant codices variously connected to this distinguished aristocratic dynasty, c.1400 - 1455, elucidates acquisition, ownership and use of books in this socio-cultural milieu, with particular reference to this family’s history and social networks. Comparative assessment of this sample of thirteen codices and the 21 items recorded in the book-list of 1428/29 affirms the view that it relates to a private rather than an institutional library and distinguishes its potential value for investigating aristocratic book culture in the late Byzantine era.

The Book of the Dead Manuscripts of the Lady Hatnefer in the Egyptian Museum of Cairo: Two Hieratic Papyri and One Leather Roll (TR-No. 25–1–55–6)

Generally, the Book of the Dead in the New Kingdom was inscribed in hieroglyphic and cursive hieroglyphic scripts. However, a few examples were inscribed in hieratic handwriting at the beginning of the Eighteenth Dynasty. This paper will present interesting examples of these early sources. Three hieratic manuscripts from the beginning of the Eighteenth Dynasty belong to the lady Hatnefer, the mother of the renowned Senenmut. This group of hieratic manuscripts consists of two papyri and one leather roll. This paper will also shed light on the handwriting of the manuscripts and try to figure out the number of scribes who were involved in writing these manuscripts based on palaeographical analysis.

Resolution and Quality Issues in 3D Analysis of Inscribed Signs: An Example from Cypro-Minoan Inscriptions

A recurrent demand in many archaeological digital documentation systems is the need for an accurate as possible registration of data. Somehow, contrary to this request, are efforts led by various computer science groups dealing with 3D documentation and focusing on developing fast and cheap solutions to record 3D models of archaeological assets. The aim of the article is to highlight the importance of aligning the 3D documentation strategy to the archaeological aims, by detailing all factors to be considered when deciding on one documentation strategy over another. The archaeological question discussed here, part of the PhD thesis of one of the co-authors (MP), relates to the Cypro-Minoan signatory and its diachronic variability. The 3D geometric characterization of signs and subsequent shape analysis is the method chosen to reach this goal. A major effort to be invested in correctly determining the shape and variability of each sign, is in assuring that the 3D captured shape is as close as possible to the archaeological reality, which is a common problem not only in palaeographical analysis but also in other fields, where features of interest are in the sub-millimetre range. The paper will illustrate how different data acquisition approaches and post-processing steps such as alignment methods and error treatment may distort the visualised result and thus have a negative impact on planned analysis. Thus, it will argue for the importance of more detailed paradata to allow an informed assessment of the reliability of 3D models and it proposes a list of values and decision-making steps that help make the 3D digitization process more robust and verifiable.

Modelling the Rongorongo tablets: A new transcription of the Échancrée tablet and the foundation for decipherment attempts

Abstract The Rongorongo is a system of writing, still undeciphered, from Easter Island in the Pacific. It consists of a corpus of twenty-six inscriptions, scattered around the world. This article presents the state-of-the art in the study of one of these inscriptions, Text D or the ‘Échancrée’ tablet housed in a museum in Rome, Italy. Through an integrated methodology based on photogrammetry and high-precision structured light scanning, a 3D model of the inscriptions is made available through a public 3D Viewer for the first time. The technique made use of the benefits of both methods of image acquisition: a very accurate, precise, high resolution, and metric reconstruction of the tablet geometry gained through the scanning process, and a high-quality texture achieved through photogrammetry. In addition, we present a new analysis of the text, through a close palaeographic examination of its signs, and corrections of previous hand drawings and transcriptions. The ultimate aim is to reach unbiased ‘readings’ of the signs through an integrated synergy of traditional palaeographic analysis and an advanced 3D model. These, applied to all the inscriptions, constitute the necessary stepping-stones for any decipherment attempt.

Features of the Formation of Partes Singing Collections of the Late 17th — Mid 18th Centuries

The Synodal Singing Collection (SSC) of the State Historical Museum is one of the most extensive collections of singing manuscripts collected in the last quarter of the 19th — early 20th centuries from all over Russia in the Synodal School of Church Singing. It contains hooked notation manuscripts of various chants, notolinear manuscripts with harmonization of ancient chants, partes concerts and “Services of God” by composers of the 17th — 18th centuries. At present, the research focuses on the specifics of the musical techniques of Russian partes concerts, correlation of the verbal text and music, their repertoire, authorship, the fate of concert cycles, the arrangements for various number of singing voices, etc. However, the important issue of the time of compilation of concert collections has not received sufficient coverage in the scientific literature. The goal of this study is, firstly, to determine the specifics of the formation of such collections using the example of the manuscript No. 360/1-8 from the Synodal Singing Collection the State Historical Museum with the involvement of other manuscripts of this Collection. The detailed palaeographic analysis of eight manuscripts that made up the collection, which previously belonged to the Novgorod Bishop’s House, allowed the author to determine the time of recording of each concert, as well as the time of compilation of the collection. Analysis of the paper watermarks and the notes placed on the sheets of manuscripts showed that the collection No. 360/1-8 of SSC from the State Historical Museum is a convolute, which is based on the works rewritten in the 1720s with the inclusion of Services recorded in the early and mid 18th century. In addition, the cycle of stichera and slavniki from the Feast Services was written after the compilation and, probably, after binding the voice parts of the collection, possibly by its compiler. The study of the notes of singers placed in the parts of this collection allowed the author of the article to find out their names, time and specifics of their singing activities. The conclusions drawn from the example of the collection No. 360/1-8 of SSC of the State Historical Museum are applicable to many collections of that time.

Ainard of Dives and the Ste-Catherine-du-Mont office for St Katherine of Alexandria: ‘Inter praecipuos cantores scientia musicae artis’

ABSTRACTOrderic Vitalis writes that Ainard, a monk of Ste-Catherine-du-Mont monastery, composed a historia for St Katherine of Alexandria for use at his institution, which possessed the saint's oil-secreting finger bones. Through a series of historiographical errors, throughout the twentieth century it came to be believed either that Ainard composed not a liturgical office, but a prose vita of the saint, or that the office he had composed was lost. This article presents a survey of the oldest extant offices for St Katherine, showing that the office widely disseminated in German-speaking lands can be traced to Normandy, and through palaeographical and codicological analysis of its earliest source, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, nouv. acq. lat. 1083, to Ste-Catherine-du-Mont in the late eleventh century. The office contained in this manuscript juxtaposes newly composed proper chants for St Katherine with existing chants from a variety of liturgical sources that honoured established saints, and emphasises the power of St Katherine's relics. The contents and themes of the office suggest an agenda of legitimisation and cultic publicity on the part of its creator, which would be consistent with the aims of a monk of Ste-Catherine. If this manuscript is indeed from Ste-Catherine-du-Mont, it likely records the office that Ainard composed. This attribution is reinforced by a textual-melodic style and modal organisation that grounds it in a later style of chant composition, which Ainard – a south German by birth – would likely have been familiar with.

Christian textual amulet on a lead sheet from Rękawczyn in Greater Poland Province

The subject of this article is the discovery of a lead amulet with an engraved Latin inscription. It was found in Rękawczyn (the eastern part of Greater Poland) in 2018 during research conducted by the District Museum in Konin. This artefact is the first and so far only find of its kind in a Polish context. It was identified by comparing it to similar finds from Germany and Bohemia from the 11th-13th centuries that bear apotropaic Latin inscriptions. The text on the amulet consists of 24 lines, which are barely legible and which contain a long quotation from the Gospel of John followed by an apotropaic formula with magical words. The reconstruction of the text is accompanied by a tentative interpretation and commentary. The palaeographical analysis of the script (Gothic minuscule) dates the amulet to the second half of the 14th century. The study presents the amulet in the wider context of similar inscriptions of European origin.

Nowo odnaleziony autograf Tomasza Tretera. Notatnik z projektem księgi emblematów

A Newly Discovered Autograph by Tomasz Treter: A Notebook with a Design of a Book of Emblems The goal of the paper is to present the attribution and codicological analysis of a manu- script currently stored at Biblioteca civica Angelo Mai in Bergamo (sign. MM 378). The paper describes the manuscript codicologically, also hypothesizing as to its presence in the Bergamo library. Based on a manuscript annotation on the codex’s upper pastedown, I argue that it was intended as a gift for one of the Załuski family. On the basis of the printed correspondence between Józef Andrzej Załuski and Angelo Maria Querini, it may be assumed that Codex MM 378 was among the parcels containing manuscripts from the circle of Stanisław Hosius that the Italian librarian intended to send to Załuski. The boxes with the codices never reached the Polish librarian due to the tardiness of the messenger, Jacques David Frédéric Perard. It is claimed here that both the inscriptions and images in the code are authored by Tomasz Treter. The manuscript’s attribution was based on palaeographic analysis (comparing the handwriting with Treter’s epistolography stored in the archives in Kraków and Olsztyn). According to the dates included in the code, the inscriptions were made between 20 June 1569 and 2 March 1575. The manu- script thus represents the earliest known evidence of Treter’s artistic activity. The auto- graph contains some previously unknown emblems by Treter, and a preliminary design of the emblem work Symbolica vitae Christi meditatio (published 1612). As many as 51 sketches in the manuscript overlap with the emblematic icons of the 1612 printing, all of which are more symbolic (hieroglyphic) representations of Christian virtues known from Treter’s printing, while there are no sketches of icons in the printed book refer- ring to specific biblical scenes. Therefore, there is still uncertainty about the authorship of these compositions, which also differ in the quality of rendition from the previously mentioned ones. Comparing the autograph with the artist’s later published work offers insight into his technique. The drawings in the manuscript show very clear inspiration of Claude Paradin, Gabriel Syméon, Aneau Barthélemy and Andrea Alciato, which is not always conspicuous in the printed version. The analysis includes the final note, mention- ing imprese with the painter Lorenzo Lotto, which explains correspondences between this artist’s work and the emblems from Symbolica vitae Christi meditatio.

Correct and Translate Poetry: The Case of Parisinus Suppl. Gr. 388

The present work focuses on the peculiarity of the codex Parisinus Suppl. Gr. 388. This manuscript is marked by a 12th-century Latin translation, running above some Greek verses of Theognis’ Elegies and entirely above the poems by Pseudo-Phocylides’ Sentences and by Dionysius Periegetes’ Description of the Known World. Moreover, the translator reviewed the Greek poems too. Hence, in this study I will focus on the correction and translation of Theognis’ Elegies and Pseudo-Phocylides’ Sentences. Firstly, I will carry out a palaeographic analysis of the scholar’s writing. Secondly, I will scrutinize the Latin translation. Finally, I will analyse the corrections on Greek texts.

From remote sensing and machine learning to the history of the Silk Road: large scale material identification on wall paintings

Automatic remote reflectance spectral imaging of large painted areas in high resolution, from distances of tens of meters, has made the imaging of entire architectural interior feasible. However, it has significantly increased the volume of data. Here we present a machine learning based method to automatically detect ‘hidden’ writings and map material variations. Clustering of reflectance spectra allowed materials at inaccessible heights to be properly identified by performing non-invasive analysis on regions in the same cluster at accessible heights using a range of complementary spectroscopic techniques. The world heritage site of the Mogao caves, along the ancient Silk Road, consists of 492 richly painted Buddhist cave temples dating from the fourth to fourteenth century. Cave 465 at the northern end of the site is unique in its Indo-Tibetan tantric Buddhist style, and like many other caves, the date of its construction is still under debate. This study demonstrates the powers of an interdisciplinary approach that combines material identification, palaeographic analysis of the revealed Sanskrit writings and archaeological evidence for the dating of the cave temple paintings, narrowing it down to the late twelfth century to thirteenth century.

The People Behind the Stamps: A Newly-Found Group of Bullae and a Seal from the City of David, Jerusalem

The article presents a group of thirteen inscribed bullae and a stamp seal, dated to the late 8th–early 6th centuries B.C.E., discovered in the recent excavations of Area U in the City of David, Jerusalem. Following the presentation of the archaeological context and palaeographic analysis of the finds, we discuss the names appearing on them and their contribution to the broader topic of the history of Jerusalem, with a special emphasis on the connection of the findings to the importance of the Gihon Spring and to the debate regarding Israelite refugees in Judah.

The mathematical values of fraction signs in the Linear A script: A computational, statistical and typological approach

Minoan Linear A is still an undeciphered script mainly used for administrative purposes on Bronze Age Crete. One of its most enigmatic features is the precise mathematical values of its system of numerical fractions. The aim of this article is to address this issue through a multi-stranded methodology that comprises palaeographical examination and statistical, computational, and typological approaches. Taking on from previous analyses, which suggested hypothetical values for some fractions, we extended our probe into assessing values for some problematic ones. The results achieved, based, on the one hand, on a close palaeographical analysis and, on the other, on computational, statistical and typological strategies, show a remarkable convergence and point towards a systematic assignment of mathematical values for the Linear A fraction signs. This contribution sets the agenda for a combinatorial, novel, and unbiased approach that may help advance our comprehension of some standing issues related to ancient undeciphered writing systems.

ПАЛЕОГРАФІЧНИЙ ОПИС «АЗБУКИ-ПІВЧОЇ»З РУКОПИСНОГО ЗБІРНИКА XVI СТ.

Мета роботи – палеографічний аналіз півчої азбуки з рукописного збірника XVI ст. та виявлення характерних особливостей її формування. Методологія дослідження включає системний аналіз, що сприяв осмисленню рукописних півчих азбук-переліків. Для окреслення часових і кількісних характеристик досліджуваного матеріалу використано статистичний та хронологічний методи. Порівняльний аналіз дав змогу встановити логічні закономірності формування азбук-переліків. Актуальність публікації пов’язана зі зростаючим інтересом до музичної спадщини Української Православної Церкви. Нагальною потребою є ґрунтовне дослідження колекцій богослужбових півчих збірок, стан яких з кожним роком погіршується та збільшується ризик втрати цінного матеріалу. Наукова новизна дослідження визначається тим, що проаналізовано півчу азбуку з рукописного збірника XVI ст., здійснено її палеографічний опис та проведено порівняльний аналіз невменних знаків. Висновки. Палеографічний аналіз півчої азбуки дав змогу виявити загальні риси в формуванні її невменними знаками. Також визначено певні відмінності з іншими азбуками в подібних рукописних збірниках. Наповнення невменними знаками азбук відбувалося відповідно до їхнього використання під час півчої практики. Як правило, в азбуку вносилися ті знаки, які вважалися найважливішими у виконанні церковних піснеспівів. Більшість півчих азбук XV–XVII ст., незважаючи на деякі відмінності, дуже подібні за складом невменних знаків. Здійснено розподіл невменних знаків на чотири групи від самих простих, що не мають різновидів, до складених, які поділяються на групи й підгрупи. Нез’ясованим залишається питання розшифрування невменної нотації, яка супроводжує богослужбові тексти. Вирішити означену проблему можна завдяки об’єднанню зусиль українських учених-медієвістів та активній співпраці знауковцями західноєвропейських країн.

The Handwriting of Diplomacy

This study demonstrates that the ability to write in chancery hand was considered to be of crucial importance to diplomatic correspondence in the Italian Renaissance. Chancery hand was perceived as the de facto handwriting of diplomacy. This paper, which contributes to the study of diplomatic history using a palaeographic approach, is based on observations of the Medici’s diplomatic letters collected in units forty-five and forty-seven of Archivio di Stato di Firenze, and Ludovico Arrighi and Giovanni Palatino’s calligraphic books. Palaeographic analysis has also been conducted on MS Monti Riva C.5.1. IX (Como, Comunale library), MS Magliabechiano XXIV 166 (Florence, Nazionale Centrale Library), and MS Royal 6 E. IX (London, British Library).