DOCUMENTS, ARCHIVES, AND PROOF AROUND 1700
Randolph C. Head
ABSTRACT Jean Mabillon's De re diplomatica , whose importance for diplomatics and the philosophy of history is well recognized, also contributed to seventeenth-century European debate over relationship among documents, archives, historical or juridical proof. This article juxtaposes early works on by Mabillon, Daniel Papebroche, Barthélémy Germon against German ius archivi theorists including Rutger Ruland Ahasver Fritsch reveal two incommensurate approaches that emerged around 1700 assessing authority written records. Diplomatics concentrated comparing material textual features individual documents authentic specimens in order separate genuine from spurious, whereas emphasized publica fides (public faith) derived their placement an sovereign's archive. Diplomatics' emergence as a auxiliary science encouraged erasure archivality primary conditions documentary assessment historians, however, while 's privileging institutional criteria foreshadowed state practice evolution archivistics into twentieth century. investigates these competing discourses evidence implications perspective modern archival practices.
The Historical Journal