An introduction to the project ‘Models of Authority: Scottish Charters and the Emergence of Government, 1100-1250’

Abstract

‘Models of Authority: Scottish Charters and the Emergence of Government, 1100-1250’ is an online project focusing upon the script and diplomatic of the earliest Scottish charters. It will provide a database of digitized images, transcriptions and translations of 691 royal, episcopal and private charters. Their handwriting can be compared with that of English royal charters (one of their principal sources of influence), whose characteristics and development have already been studied in detail. Palaeographical analysis of the digitized images, in particular the identification of elements of cursivity and features of style, will be facilitated by the ‘Digipal’ framework.