Diplomatics

Did You Know?

• Despite the verbal similarity, diplomatics has nothing to do with diplomacy; both terms derive from the word diploma, originally referring to folded writing material.
• The word diplomatics was effectively coined by the Benedictine monk Jean Mabillon in his 1681 treatise De re diplomatica.

Definitions

Webster's Dictionary (1828) describes diplomatics as the science of diplomas or ancient writings, including literary and public documents, letters, decrees, charters, and codicils, with the aim of deciphering old writings and ascertaining their authenticity, date, and signatures. Giorgio Cencetti defined it as the study of the being and becoming of documentation, analyzing the genesis, inner constitution, and transmission of documents, as well as their relationship with the facts represented and their creators.

The Commission International de Diplomatique defines it as the science that studies the tradition, form, and issuing of written documents. Peter Beal offers a pragmatic definition: the science or study of documents and records, encompassing their forms, language, script, and meaning, including knowledge of established wording and procedures, deciphering writing, and document analysis and authentication. Theo Kölzer defines it as the teaching and study of charters, treating the terms charter, diploma, and document as broadly synonymous, and references Harry Bresslau's definition of documents as written declarations recorded in compliance with certain forms, meant to serve as testimony of legal proceedings.

Properly understood, diplomatics is concerned with analyzing and interpreting linguistic and textual elements, but it is closely associated with palaeography, sigillography, codicology, and provenance studies. The term is sometimes used more widely, as in Mabillon's original work and the definitions of Webster and Beal, to encompass some of these other areas. Recent developments in non-English Europe are expanding its scope to a cultural history of documentation, including aspects of pragmatic literacy and symbolic communication.

History

In ancient and medieval periods, a document's authenticity was considered to derive from its place of preservation in temples, public offices, or archives, allowing forgers to deposit spurious documents in authoritative locations. Diplomatics grew from the need to establish new authenticity standards through critical analysis of textual and physical forms. The first notable application was by Nicolas of Cusa in 1433 and Lorenzo Valla in 1440, who independently determined that the Donation of Constantine was a forgery.

Diplomatic techniques were further developed during the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. The emergence of diplomatics as a distinct sub-discipline is generally dated to the publication of Mabillon's De re diplomatica in 1681, prompted by doubts raised by Jesuit Daniel van Papenbroek over Merovingian documents from the Abbey of Saint-Denis. During the Middle Ages, spurious charters were common to document existing rights or bolster claimed rights.

Mabillon's work heightened awareness of potential forgeries in history and law. The most significant English work was Thomas Madox's Formulare Anglicanum in 1702, though the discipline was studied more intensively by continental scholars. Scholars such as Luciana Duranti have argued that many of its theories and principles can be adapted to contemporary archival science.

Uses

The study of diplomatics is a valuable tool for historians, enabling them to determine whether alleged historical documents and archives are genuine or forgeries, and to help date undated documents. It has similar applications in law. Famous cases include Lorenzo Valla's proof of the forgery of the Donation of Constantine, the Hitler diaries hoax of 1983, and the National Archives forgeries of 2005.

Diplomatic editions and transcription

A diplomatic edition is an edition of a historic manuscript text that seeks to reproduce in typography all significant features of the original, including spelling, punctuation, abbreviations, deletions, insertions, and other alterations. Diplomatic transcription uses a system of editorial signs to represent these features. A semi-diplomatic edition reproduces only some features. This contrasts with a normalized edition, which uses modern orthography, and with a facsimile edition, which uses photographic or digital images, or a type facsimile that reproduces appearance through special typeface or digital font.