paper codices

Evidence

"the dataset used here is comprised of 312 manuscripts ranging from the Demotic papyrus rolls of the second century bc to the the paper codices of the Coptic 12th century."

Remarks

The dataset described in this volume includes 312 manuscripts, ranging from Demotic papyrus rolls (2nd century BC) to Coptic paper codices from the 12th century AD. The transition from rolls to codices is a major theme, with the reviewer noting that vertical rolls (rotuli) persisted in significant numbers alongside codices well into the Islamic period (p. 3). Scribal conventions were diverse, including professional and amateur hands. The reviewer highlights that while the authors of the volume encourage multidisciplinary approaches including Raman spectroscopy and radiocarbon dating, the current study primarily utilizes paleography for dating (p. 3). Furthermore, structural details of early codices, such as the Paris Magical Codex (GEMF 57), suggest that texts were often written on individual sheets prior to being assembled into a single-quire codex (p. 4).