Sources are the foundations of historical understanding: they open
windows onto the past that allow historians to reconstruct and
re-interpret events, personalities, and broader dynamics. This course
aims to introduce students to this study through a diverse selection of
published and unpublished material: this not only includes charter,
diplomatic and chronicle material (in both Latin and the vernacular),
but also architectural and artistic evidence from across medieval
England, France, Germany, Italy and the wider Mediterranean. Students
will learn about different methods of source evaluation and consider how
this evidence can be used to modify historical understanding. Moreover,
students will also reflect on archival practises: this will not only
involve an investigation of archives between the medieval and modern
periods, but also look to future methodologies such as digital
preservation, digital editions, and digital mapping. In doing so,
students will develop transferable skills of critical analysis and
reflection, and refine their abilities to use historical sources to
construct historical narratives and arguments.
- Trainer/in: John Aspinwall