Understanding manuscripts & archives

In order to read and interpret the content of manuscripts and archives, the subject of the text, you need to understand all the various contexts in which they were created – historical, political, social, economical, religious, literary or artistic.

A manuscript or archival document also needs to be understood as an object.

Therefore you will need to have:

• a basic knowledge of the document types commonly found in collections of papers or records
• the ability to use the appropriate tools for deciphering the handwriting and language of documents
• an understanding of the present condition of the document as an integral part of the object history.

Follow the links below for training in these areas:

• Different document types
• Reading documents:
  • handwriting and palaeography
  • language

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