Shropshire Routes to Roots | The story of writing

3. Writing evolves

How did writing become standardised?

Roman standardisation

With the spread of the written word, it became more and more important that different cultures could recognise the script of another. It was one thing to have different languages, but quite another if a document looked as if a spider had scrawled across it, with no chance of deciphering it, even if you did know the language.

One of the most important events that helped standardise the shape of the alphabet, and therefore ease communication, was the existence of the Roman Empire. It carried its culture with it and transplanted it to far-flung reaches - even Britain.

Black and white photograph of a tall stone tombstone with an inscription. [Opens in new window: image size 40 kb]

This is a photograph of the tombstone of a Roman soldier of the Twentieth Legion, which was found at Wroxeter
Larger image, in a new window [40kb]
[Shropshire Archive reference: PH/W/38/3]

The Roman script took on the shape it did for various reasons, but one was paramount. As with all empires, the Romans liked writing on their new and magnificent buildings. Engraving letters on to stone requires the script to be as non-cursive (curved) as possible. They therefore developed a style of font using more straight lines. The 'Times New Roman' script we see today can be drawn with a minimum of curved lines, and is a direct descendant of that early Roman script.

The Wroxeter writing theme shows more examples of Roman inscriptions which can be found in Shropshire.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Times New Roman script]

Once a sound rather than an idea was identified by a standard symbol (a letter), then it was only a matter of time before each language with an alphabet began to create written texts which faithfully copied the spoken word.

The change in writing surfaces - parchment

Papyrus had been the main surface upon which the Roman world recorded its thoughts. With the fall of the Empire papyrus fell out of favour and other methods that had already been used to some degree began to assume far greater importance.

An example of 14th century parchment [Opens in new window: image size 58kb]

Example of 14th century parchment
Larger image, in a new window [58kb]
[Secret Shropshire]

The main scribes from the first century A.D. to the Middle Ages were the clerics, and their favourite material was sheepskin. This was washed, stretched and dried, then cut to shape. This new material was called parchment. If the skin was from a young animal and was of a softer texture, the parchment was known as vellum. For the first time, there was a material that no longer had to be rolled, but could be bound into books (known as a codex). Parchment became the main writing surface until supplanted by paper in the 14th century.

The change in writing surfaces - paper

Paper was invented in China around 100 A.D. and gradually found its way west. Paper was easier to prepare than parchment and could be made from a wide range of fibrous materials. The most common way was to break up fibrous plant stems (straw, reeds, etc.) in water and then lay the mixture on a porous tray, where it would be left to dry. The use of wood pulp would not become common until the 1800's.

By the late 13th century, there were paper mills across Europe, but as yet paper-making was on a small scale. However, an invention was soon to take the world and the production of the written word by storm.

An example of an early 19th century paper indenture [Opens in new window: image size 56kb]

Apprentice indenture on paper
Larger image, in a new window [56kb]
[Secret Shropshire]

Continue

Page created March 2004 and last updated 30 July 2007

For your enquiries and comments please see the who to contact page. Please read the general terms and conditions and accessibility information, including the use of the UK government accesskeys system.