Codex Argenteus in the light of science and technology

Abstract

The Codex Argenteus in Uppsala is the most comprehensive Gothic document still extant. Over the years, its various symbolic values have inspired several investigations and experiments, not only in the humanities, but also in the field of science and technology ranging from deciphering and reproducing the worn and corrupted script to solving riddles in the field of book history by analysing the materials that make up the codex. At the same time, new advanced techniques have been put to the test: woodcut carving, photography, spectral analysis, C-14 analysis and DNA testing. This paper provides a historical survey of techniques, investigations and even manipulations to which the Codex Argenteus has been subjected in the course of the last four centuries.