Theleme - Historical documents deciphered

Theleme is an exceptional initiative combining ancient history and modernity. You might even call it augmented reality.

Indeed, the historical documents digitized in the Theleme project, which range from the year 450 to 1488, feature decoded transcriptions superimposed as you move your mouse over the text.

So you see both the original object and its first interpretation. This is complemented by translations where necessary.

All that's missing is a few collaborative work tools to bring out the full potential of the initiative.

With such an archive highlighted in this way, which will gradually be expanded, the École des Chartes can eventually attract historical documents from all over, bring together the best skills and enthusiasts, and thus become a major hub for documentary history. A concrete example of the use of ICT in the humanities and social sciences.

Here's the official site presentation:

The École des Chartes de la Sorbonne presents here the first stage of an online teaching venture, destined to expand in the future: an introduction to the various sciences and methods of history, comprising three sections:

• general introductory pages by speciality ;
• transcribed and annotated document files, based on concrete examples from the various disciplines;
• tools for study and research: bibliographies, databases, directories of abbreviations and formulas to help read and understand texts.

Folders

The files are based on the École's facsimile collection. The documents currently on display already offer a succinct overview of its variety. Represented between the 5th and 15th centuries are books and documents, classical and medieval texts, religious and secular, in Latin, French and Occitan. This selection will soon be extended to include documents in cursive script from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Each folder is composed as follows:

• Brief description of the document ;
• Large-format interactive facsimile ;
• Full text and (where applicable) translation;
• Commentary, which varies according to the file: paleographic, diplomatic and linguistic aspects.

The documents can thus be used, for various fields and periods, as an introduction to the art of reading ancient scripts, as well as to methods of document analysis and interpretation.

Contents

Books

• 0450 Saint Jerome, Chronicon
• 0800 Sacramentary
• 0900 Epistles of Saint Paul
• 1200 Saint Paul, Romans
• 1289 Prudence, Psychomachy
• 1290 Perdigon
• 1297 Vincent de Beauvais
• 1300 Jacques de Voragine
• 1467 Sallustus

Documents

• 1157 Concession in fief
• 1203 Dipl. Philippe Auguste
• 1203 County donation
• 1218 Sealed chirograph
• 1219 Feudal promise
• 1242 Comtal deed
• 1246 Limoges Charter
• 1248 Beauvais official act
• 1251 Official act Meaux
• 1261 Multien knight's deed
• 1270 Charter Saint-Louis
• 1278 Financial statement Noyon
• 1296 Act of jurisdiction
• 1317 Mandate Philippe V
• 1325 Notarial deed
• 1333 Act of Thérouanne officiality
• 1340 Charter St Germain
• 1417 Bailli letter Lyon
• 1447 Mandement delphinal
• 1488 Mandement queen Provence