Codicology is the analysis of codices.
The scientific discipline dedicated to the analysis of codices is called codicology . To understand what codicology is, therefore, you must first focus on the codices.
Codex
A codex is a handwritten book that was created before the development of the printing press . The term comes from the Latin word codex .
Study of the codex
Returning to the idea of codicology, this field of study examines handwritten works on parchment , papyrus , and other material supports. Codicology is oriented to the study of the physical object.
It is important to keep in mind that manuscripts are expressed through a supporting element (the material support where the writing takes place) and a supporting element (the instrument that allows the writing to be fixed). Codicology observes both dimensions to produce its knowledge.
It is not uncommon to find the concept of book archeology synonymous with codicology . Given that archeology is the science in charge of studying monuments, ancient objects and the arts to understand social changes, focusing especially on material remains, it is easy to understand that it is related to this discipline focused on the physical aspect of the codices. .
Goals
Experts in these matters, known as codicologists , investigate the techniques used to make and bind books. Codicology also pays attention to the different materials used in the production process.
By inspecting a codex, its origin can often be determined. Codicology, in this framework, can be useful for reunifying the parts of a work that, for some reason, were separated for many years.
Codicologists also often trace the history of manuscripts to learn how they arrived at their current location. Likewise, they contribute to knowing the history of catalogues, collections and libraries.
What codicology does, in short, is contribute to understanding how knowledge was recorded and transmitted in ancient times. Their contributions are useful in multiple areas.
The context of the codex
Beyond the materials and manufacturing techniques of manuscripts, which can place them in a specific region and time, codicology is also often concerned with studying the specific buildings in which they were created, grouped, cataloged and consulted . This may include ancient libraries, courts, schools, monasteries and universities.
In this way, the history of each codex acquires a much greater depth, adding to the richness of its individual path that of the geographical spaces and cultural environments that saw it born and evolve. This reminds us that we cannot isolate a work as if it were an object foreign to its historical and social context, neither to study it nor to judge it. They are all inevitably linked to their time and their geographical space, two elements without which we cannot fully understand them.
The materials, binding methods and characteristics of the text tell us about the history of the manuscripts.
As part of the extensive work of codicology, the materials, construction, text and images of the codices are therefore examined, trying to decipher issues that are not so obvious but that are hidden in the relationships that occur between these elements. . For example, if we know that a certain ornament made of a certain material was common at a given time, we can probably estimate the date of creation of the codex.
Note that this discipline does not have perfectly defined limits, but rather continues to develop day by day. There are those who affirm that paleography (which is dedicated to studying ancient manuscripts) is part of codicology, while others maintain just the opposite, that the latter falls within the framework of the former.