The invention of writing by mankind was an important step for the development of culture and education. Thanks to the appearance of the alphabet, it became possible to record information on material media and store it for generations. The concept of the manuscript is associated with the invention of writing. From the article you can find out what it is, what ancient manuscripts have survived to this day and what concepts are associated with the study of this cultural phenomenon.
What is a manuscript
The word "manuscript" is derived from the words "hand" and "write". It is a tracing-paper of the Latin term "manuscript". Thus, originally a manuscript is any work written down by hand. This usually refers to written monuments made before the advent of printing.
However, in the modern world, this concept is wider. Any author's work, even printed on a typewriter or computer, before it is published and takes on its final form, is a manuscript.
For example:"The author submitted his manuscript to the publisher."
History
The first manuscripts were made on stones or metal plates. The letters on them were hollowed out with the help of special tools. Obviously, this way of recording was not very convenient.
In Babylon they wrote on clay tablets. The letters were applied with a pointed stick - a stylus.
Papyrus was invented in ancient Egypt. It was made from reed plants.
The next step in the history of manuscripts was the invention of parchment, a soft material made from animal skin.
Finally, ancient China learned how to make paper. It is on this material that most of the manuscripts in the world are written.
The oldest manuscripts of the world
Examples of the oldest handwritten texts in history:
- Poem about Gilgamesh (Nineveh, VIII - VII centuries BC).
- Book of the Dead (Ancient Egypt, VI - I century BC).
- Code Sinaiticus (Sinai Peninsula, 6th century BC).
- Diamond Sutra (China, 868 CE).
- Torah (found in the library of Italy, XI century AD).
Concepts related to manuscripts
There are several concepts associated with manuscript research.
For example, paleography is a science that studies ancient handwritten texts and the development of writing.
A palimpsest is a type of codex, usually written on parchment. Its peculiarity is that the originally written text on it was erased, and thenrewritten. This was explained by the high cost of writing materials.
Vignette - an ornament or decoration of a handwritten work, usually at the beginning or end.
Facsimile - an exact reproduction of a manuscript.
Konvolyut - a combination in one edition of several previously published separately manuscripts.
So, a manuscript or manuscript in antiquity - any work written by hand, in modern times - printed by the author, but not yet published. The first manuscripts were made before our era in connection with the advent of writing.
