This module introduces students to the history of Western scripts and various forms of writing in the Latin alphabet as they evolved between the Roman period and the end of the Middle Ages. Students will gain a good understanding of the important factors in the development of different script types and the chronology of the main developments. The module also introduces students to the practical study of medieval manuscript sources, in particular codices and charters. Students who have completed this module should be able to read the main types of written medieval sources in the original and interpret correctly their external characteristics.