The Latin Papyri and the History of Writing. Their Contribution to the Formation of a Scientific Vocabulary in Palaeography

The study examines how the discovery of the papyri forced paleographers to modernize their scientific terminology and refine their methodological tools, introducing a rigorous “protocol” for observation that includes parameters such as ductus, writing angle, and ligatures. Furthermore, the study highlights the integration of linguistic concepts (e.g., synchronic and diachronic variation, graphic change) into the paleographic lexicon to better define transitions in Roman writing systems. Ultimately, Latin papyri, despite their fragmentary nature (indeed, precisely because of it), are essential sources that have transformed paleography into a more precise science, shifting the focus toward the intrinsic graphic meaning of written sources.