The Book in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
| Module title | The Book in Medieval and Early Modern Europe |
|---|---|
| Module code | HAS3009 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Stuart Pracy (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
This module provides you with the fundamental skills needed for those interested in a career in information science, heritage or independent postgraduate research. Beginning with the transition from late-Antique scrolls to medieval codices and ending with the rise of print and paper in early modernity, this interdisciplinary module examines the history and materiality of written communication after the fall of the Roman Empire. In tandem with an introduction to the chronology and key debates surrounding the development of the book, you will be instructed in the key skills necessary to engage with archival material and digitised resources. The module is team-taught by leading experts from the Centre for Medieval Studies and beyond. It makes use of the wide range of expertise across the university as well as the unique resources and archives in Exeter.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module will:
- Introduce you to the history of manuscript and printed book production and communication in Europe c.500-c.1600;
- Give you the necessary skills to understand archival catalogues and to access archival material;
- Teach you to critically assess cultural dynamics that affected manuscript and book production, storage, and dissemination;
- Enable you to contextualise textual and visual material and consider linkages between form and function, especially regarding the producer, audience, and later reception;
- Allow you to engage with the emerging fields of manuscript and book studies at an advanced level.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the key themes and issues in the construction, use, and dissemination of pre-modern communication.
- 2. Interpret a range of evidence pertaining to the history of the medieval and early modern book.
- 3. Convey an awareness of new avenues by which different disciplines and professions approach the pre-modern book.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate the acquisition of skills relating to codicology and bibliography.
- 5. Analyse and synthesise different types of historical material and evidence.
- 6. Critically analyse the materiality of the book.
- 7. Securely access, locate, and make use of both physical and digital archives and archival material.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Construct and defend a sustained argument, both in written form and orally, using primary and secondary material.
- 9. Demonstrate capacity for independent critical research, study, and thought.
- 10. Work as an individual and with a tutor and peers in an independent, constructive, and responsive manner.
Syllabus plan
While the exact content may differ from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some, or all, of the following topics:
- Bibliography and codicology
- Anatomy of the book, e.g., folios, quires, bindings etc.
- Catalogues and cataloguing
- Archival experience and understanding the role of the archivist
- Scientific approaches to manuscripts and books
- Digital archives and digitisation
- Scrolls, codices, commercial scriptoria, paper, and print
- European developments in a wider context.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 280 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 20 | 10 x 2-hour seminars |
| Guided independent study | 280 | Preparation for seminars; research and writing of essay and research project. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research project plan | 2 sides A4 maximum | 1-10 | Oral and/or written feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thematic essay | 50 | 3000 words | 1-3, 8-9 | Written |
| Research project | 50 | 3000 words | 1-10 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thematic Essay (3000 words) | Thematic Essay (3000 words) | 1-3,8-9 | Referral/Deferral Period |
| Research Project (3000 words) | Research Project (3000 words) | 1-10 | Referral/Deferral Period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to redo the assessment(s) as defined above. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Brown, Michelle P., Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts: A Guide to Technical Terms (London: The British Library, 1994).
- Clemens, Raymond and Timothy Graham, Introduction to Manuscript Studies (Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2008)
- Eisenstein, Elizabeth L., The printing revolution in Early Modern Europe (Cambridge: CUP, 2005).
- Eliot, Simon and Jonathan Rose, eds., A Companion to the History of the Book (Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2007)
- Green, D. H., Women readers in the Middle Ages (Cambridge: CUP 2007).
- Johnston, Michael, and Michael Van Dussen, eds., The Medieval Manuscript Book: Cultural Approaches (Cambridge: CUP, 2015).
- Pearson, David, Books as History: The Importance of Books Beyond Their Texts (London: The British Library, 2008).
- Wagner, Bettina, and Marcia Reed, eds., Early Printed Books as Material Objects (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2010).
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 23/02/2024 |
