Codicology is the study of the physical structure of manuscript books, or codices, from the Middle Ages. It includes the manufacture of the material to be written on (papyrus, parchment, paper, and so on), the preparation of that material after manufacture, and arrangement of the material after writing into its final form, such as a book or roll. The discussion here focuses on the most commonly surviving form from the medieval West, namely parchment or paper bound in a book or “codex”, but many other materials and arrangements are found throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

Parchment

Parchment

The origin of parchment is associated with Eumenes II of Pergamum (197-159 BC), who is said to have developed the material in response to restrictions on the importation of papyrus. The

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Citation: Stokes, Peter Anthony. "Codicology". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 October 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1679, accessed 22 November 2024.]