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Article published In:
Advances in Gothic Philology and Linguistics
Edited by Alexandra Holsting and Hans Frede Nielsen †
[NOWELE 71:2] 2018
► pp. 130–141

Codex Argenteus in the light of science and technology

The Codex Argenteus in Uppsala is the most comprehensive Gothic document still extant. Over the years, its various symbolic values have inspired several investigations and experiments, not only in the humanities, but also in the field of science and technology ranging from deciphering and reproducing the worn and corrupted script to solving riddles in the field of book history by analysing the materials that make up the codex. At the same time, new advanced techniques have been put to the test: woodcut carving, photography, spectral analysis, C-14 analysis and DNA testing. This paper provides a historical survey of techniques, investigations and even manipulations to which the Codex Argenteus has been subjected in the course of the last four centuries.

Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Franciscus Junius and the editio princeps
  • 3.Erik Benzelius and others in the 18th century
  • 4.Project planning in the early years of photography
  • 5.Svedberg and the 1927 edition
  • 6.The Text in the digital era and corruption of the original manuscript
  • 7.Studies of the materials used: parchment and threads
  • 8.Studies of the materials used: ink and dye
  • 9.Concluding note
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 21 June 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/nowele.00008.mun
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