About this course: Perhaps no other relic of the European Middle Ages captures our imagination more than illuminated medieval manuscripts, or those documents decorated with images and colored pigments. Serving as windows unto a lost world of kings, ladies, faith, war, and culture, they communicate complex visual and textual narratives of Europe’s collective cultural heritage and patrimony. In this fashion, illuminated manuscripts are dynamic messages from our communal past that are still relevant today in fields like graphic design and typography. In this seven-week course, students will explore the material creation, content, and historical context of illuminated medieval European manuscripts. Students will acquire an introductory knowledge of their distinguishing characteristics, their cataloguing and periodization (when they were created), the methods utilized to produce them, and their historical context and value. Student achievement will be assessed using not only traditional multiple-choice quizzes, but more importantly will be evaluated based on individual student projects. In their final projects students will either (1) produce a board of commented images about medieval manuscripts or (2) prepare a physical manuscript using medieval methods. The best of these peer-evaluated projects will be posted on the Deciphering Secrets website, which is our collective citizen scholarship web presence that encourages and supports our global citizen scholars appreciation and contributions to transcription of medieval manuscripts. Finally, we wish to highlight that this course is an exciting international collaboration between the University of Colorado (USA) and Universidad Complutense Madrid (Spain).
Who is this class for: The general public with an interest in the European Middle Ages Bibliophiles and collectors of medieval manuscripts in facsimile Students of European history and the history of arts Students of library and information science Students of cultural heritage and patrimony Graphic designers wishing to deepen their understanding of the roots of modern image, color, and icon design.
Created by: University of Colorado System
Taught by: Dr. Roger Louis Martínez-Dávila, Associate Professor
History
Taught by: Ana B. Sanchez-Prieto, Dr. in Medieval History, Dr. in Education Sciences
Historiographical Sciences and Techniques
| Level | Beginner |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
COURSE INTRODUCTION. INTRODUCTION TO MEDIEVAL WORLD AND MANUSCRIPT STUDIES
Week #1
15 videos, 12 readings, 1 practice quiz
- Video: Course Overview
- Video: Meet Dr. Ana Belen Sanchez Prieto
- Video: Meet Dr. Roger L. Martínez-Dávila
- Reading: Course Description
- Reading: Who Should Enroll?
- Reading: Learning Outcomes and Goals
- Reading: Teaching Methods and Approach
- Reading: Assessment: Assignments and Grading
- Reading: Nota para hispanohablantes (Notice for Spanish speakers)
- Video: Optional video: How everything started
- Video: Week 1: Overview of Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean
- Reading: Medieval Europe and Its Siblings
- Reading: The Formation of Medieval Europe
- Reading: The Islamic World and Formation of Its First Caliphates
- Reading: Byzantium – Eastern Roman Empire
- Discussion Prompt: Was Rome really the origin of the European Middle Ages?
- Practice Quiz: Considering maps: What do they reveal?
- Reading: 1.0a. Introduction to Unit 1. Activities and Workflow
- Video: 1.0b. Introduction to Manuscript Studies
- Video: 1.1. What is a Manuscript?
- Video: 1.2. What is an Illuminated Manuscript?
- Video: 1.3. Where do we Find Medieval Manuscripts?
- Video: 1.4. How do we Find Medieval Manuscripts?
- Video: Project. 1. Introduction
- Discussion Prompt: Digitised manuscripts collections
- Reading: Searching for a definition of "manuscript"
- Video: Facsimile editions of medieval manuscripts
- Video: Handbooks and Lexicons
- Video: Working with Medieval Manuscripts
- Video: Wrap-Up to Unit 1
Graded: History: Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean
Graded: Manuscript studies. Basic concepts
Graded: Digitised collections
WEEK 2
MEDIEVAL EUROPEAN KINGDOMS (PART 1) AND WRITING SUPPORTS AND BOOK FORMATS
WEEK #2
12 videos, 10 readings, 1 practice quiz
- Video: Week 2: Overview of Medieval Kingdoms - Part 1
- Reading: Creation of Medieval European Kingdoms
- Reading: Early Germanic Peoples
- Reading: The Vandals: A Brief Reference
- Reading: The Ostrogoths
- Reading: The Visigoths
- Reading: France and the Franks
- Reading: England and the Anglo-Saxons and Normans
- Discussion Prompt: Germanic-speaking peoples created a common community in Europe?
- Practice Quiz: Thinking More About Historical Sources: France's Einhard and England's Bede
- Reading: 2.0a. Introduction to Unit 2. Activities and Workflow
- Video: 2.0b.Writing Materials and Book Formats. Introduction
- Video: 2.1. Archaic Writing Materials
- Video: 2.2. Papyrus
- Video: 2.3. Parchment
- Video: 2.4. Paper
- Video: 2.5. Tablets
- Video: 2.6. Roll and Scroll
- Video: 2.7. Codex
- Video: 2.8. Archaic and Exotic Book Formats
- Video: Project : Materials and Book Formats
- Discussion Prompt: Book formats and reading habits
- Reading: Ancient Scrolls Blackened by Vesuvius are Readable at Last
- Reading: The Birth of the Codex
- Video: Wrap-up to Unit 2
Graded: Medieval Kingdoms - Part 1
Graded: Writing Materials and Book Formats
Graded: Images Board: Writing Materials and Book Formats
WEEK 3
MEDIEVAL EUROPEAN KINGDOMS (PART 2) AND THE WRITING CASE AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE CODEX
WEEK #3
12 videos, 7 readings
- Video: Week 3: Overview
- Reading: Iberia: Christian and Islamic Kingdoms
- Reading: Cities: The Rise of Urban Centers
- Reading: Medieval Warfare
- Reading: Scholasticism: The Revival of Learning
- Discussion Prompt: What had the greatest impact?
- Reading: 3.0a. Introduction to Unit 3. Activities and Workflow
- Video: 3.0b. Introduction to Unit 3
- Video: 3.1. The Writing Instruments
- Video: 3.2. Black Inks
- Video: 3.3. Colors (Part 1)
- Video: 3.4. Colors (Part 2)
- Video: Bonus: Making a Lake Pigment
- Video: 3.5. The Quires
- Video: 3.6. Folding
- Video: 3.7. Working with the Quires
- Video: Projects: The Writing Case and the Architecture of the Codex
- Discussion Prompt: Making writing instruments and inks
- Reading: Some readings about medieval colours
- Reading: Some very interesting videos about paint and ink making
- Video: Wrap-Up to Unit 3
Graded: Medieval Kingdoms - Part 2
Graded: Manuscript Studies
Graded: Images Board: Inks and Quires
WEEK 4
A GLIMPSE OF SPAIN'S KING ALFONSO X "THE WISE" AND PREPARING THE PAGE FOR WRITING
WEEK #4
8 videos, 7 readings
- Video: Week 4: Overview
- Reading: King Alfonso X "The Wise" of Castile
- Reading: Las Cantigas de Santa Maria - The Canticles of Holy Mary
- Reading: Lecture: Las Siete Partidas: A Legal Code for Three Religions
- Reading: King Alfonso X and the Development of Spanish Universities
- Discussion Prompt: Las Siete Partidas: What does it say about medieval religious co-existence
- Reading: 4.0a. Introduction to Unit 4. Activities and Workflow
- Video: 4.0b. The Preparation of the Page. Introduction
- Video: 4.1. The "mise-en-page"
- Discussion Prompt: Your personal experience with page lay-out
- Video: 4.2. Proportional Rectangles and Harmonic Surfaces
- Video: 4.3. Pricking
- Video: 4.4.Ruling
- Video: Project
- Discussion Prompt: Your experiences with the "mise-en-page"
- Reading: Richard H. Rouse & Laura Light, Manuscript Production
- Reading: Some interesting readings about the mise-en-page
- Video: Wrap-up to Unit 4
Graded: History Quiz: King Alfonso X "The Wise"
Graded: Quiz Manuscript Studies
Graded: Board Project: The Preparation of the Page
WEEK 5
PALEOGRAPHY AND A HISTORICAL CASE STUDY AND WRITING THE CODEX
WEEK #5
11 videos, 10 readings
- Video: Week 5: Overview
- Reading: Exploring Paleography and Making Discoveries
- Reading: Paleography: The study of ancient handwriting
- Reading: Introduction to Paleography: Handwriting from the 13th Century
- Reading: Case Study Overview: “La Mota”: A Christian Assumes Ownership over Jewish Homes, circa 1416
- Video: Digital Narration of the "La Mota" Case Study
- Reading: Youtube.com high resolution version of the digital narration
- Discussion Prompt: The "La Mota" Case Study: What is important about a handshake?
- Reading: 5.0a. Introduction to Unit 5. Activities and Workflow
- Video: 5.0. Introduction to Unit 5
- Video: 5.1.Copying and Copyists
- Video: 5.2. Writing Analysis
- Video: 5.3. The Cycles of Latin Writing (Part 1)
- Video: 5.4. The Cycles of Latin Writing (Part 2)
- Video: Bonus: Meet Marius the Copyist
- Video: Project for unit 5
- Video: Ductus, Angle and Weight (Project bonus)
- Discussion Prompt: Your experiences with reading and copying
- Reading: Michelle Brown, A Guide to Western Historical Scripts, from Antiquity to 1600
- Reading: Mark H. Smith & Laura Light, Script
- Reading: Interactive Album of Mediaeval Palaeography Collection of Transcription Exercises on Mediaeval Documents
- Reading: Edward Maunde Thompson, Handbook of Greek and Latin Palaeography
- Video: Wrap-Up to Unit 5
Graded: Medieval History: Paleography and A Historical Case Study
Graded: Manuscript Studies
Graded: Board Project: Writing
WEEK 6
EXPLORING THE GLOBAL MIDDLE AGES AND ONLINE COLLECTIONS AND CODEX DECORATION
WEEK #6
9 videos, 7 readings
- Video: Week 6: Overview
- Reading: Exploring the "Global Middle Ages"
- Reading: Exploring Spain's Online Manuscript and Museum Collections
- Reading: Internet-Based Spanish Primary Sources
- Discussion Prompt: Global Middle Ages Projects: Which one did you find most interesting?
- Reading: 6.0a. Introduction to Unit 6. Activities and Workflow
- Video: 6.0b. Introduction to Unit 6
- Video: 6.1. Technical Procedures
- Video: 6.2. Writing Turned in Ornament
- Video: 6.3. The Illustrations and their Relation to the Text
- Video: 6.4. Initial Decoration
- Video: 6.5. Marginal Decoration
- Video: Project: Decoration
- Discussion Prompt: How the image can influence the interpretation of the text
- Reading: Susan L'Engle and Ariane Bergeron-Foote, Law
- Reading: Laura Light, Women and the Book in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
- Reading: Other readings about manuscripts decoration
- Video: Wrap-Up to Unit 6
Graded: Medieval History: The Global Middle Ages
Graded: Manuscript Studies
Graded: Board Project: The Decoration of the Codex
WEEK 7
BOOKBINDING AND COURSE COMPLETION
WEEK #7
7 videos, 5 readings
- Reading: Week 7: Overview
- Reading: 7.0a. Introduction to Unit 7. Activities and Workflow
- Video: 7.0b. Introduction to Unit 7
- Video: 7.1.The Parts of a Book Binding
- Video: The Evolution of Bookbinding (Part 1)
- Video: The Evolution of Bookbinding (Part 2)
- Video: Project: Book binding
- Discussion Prompt: The book and its bookbinding
- Reading: Binding and the Archaeology of Medieval and Renaissance Book
- Reading: More readings about bookbinding
- Video: Wrap-Up to Unit 7
- Video: Join Deborah, Roger and Ana in the discussion about future projects
- Discussion Prompt: Let us know
- Reading: Farewell
Graded: Manuscript Studies. Bookbinding
Graded: Board project: Bookbinding
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Ratings and Reviews
An excellent overview of a complex subject , with the rare option to explore the practical skills involved in making manuscripts , and with a forward view of new research evolving IT makes possible.
It was amazing course full of new information and things to know, full of activities and works for creation own medieval manuscript. A lot of thanks for all people who done it!
This class was even better than I expected, and I expected a really good course. The professors are passionate about the subject, and they have very good teaching methods. I should probably say subjectS, because there were so many interesting things involved in this course. We learned about writing materials, the chemistry of ink and paint, textual analysis, analysis of the structure of the book and of the page layout, some psychology, lots of history, and - something very useful - advanced internet search methods for original sources. I would recommend this course to anyone; in fact, I've already done so several times. I look forward to doing more courses with Professors MARTINEZ-DÁVILA and Professor SÁNCHEZ-PRIETO in the future. Nice work!
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CS
Very engaging and creative course that allowed me to study a subject I have always been enchanted with. The only issues are that the professors accent was so deep that it was difficult to understand her and the machine generated transcript had the same issue I did. Still a most enjoyable course and I would highly recommend it to all. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to take it.