Ancient History: Electronic Primary Sources
Primary Sources in Library Databases
The databases and websites listed on this page are good sources for primary sources from ancient times. Make sure also to consult the next tab on primary sources in books.
- ArtStorThe ARTstor Digital Library, a non-profit resource, consists of images in art, architecture, the humanities, and social sciences.
Primary Sources on the Web
These digital libraries and websites contain excellent collections of digitized and scribed materials.
At right: a page from a 13th century Abbreviatio (abridgement) of Domesday Book, from the UK National Archives via Flickr.
- The Avalon Project : Documents in Law, History and DiplomacyThe Avalon Project mounts digital documents relevant to the fields of Law, History, Economics, Politics, Diplomacy and Government.
- Western manuscripts to c. 1500--Bodleian LibraryThis site provides information about and often images of the manuscript collection held by the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford.
- Oxford Digital LibraryGeneral access point to all digital collections as Oxford University.
- Early Manuscripts at Oxford UniversityDigital facsimiles of complete manuscripts held at Oxford University and not just limited to the Bodleian holdings.
- British Library--Digitised ManuscriptsThe 'Digitised Manuscripts' section of The British Library website provides access to fully digitised manuscripts held at the Library and their descriptions.
- Danish Royal Library--E-manuscript collectionThe Royal Library in Copenhagen publishes selected parts of its collections on the Internet. Since 1997 the Manuscript Department has published complete digital facsimile editions of manuscripts.
- e-codices: Virtuelle Handschriftenbibliothek der SchweizSwiss virtual manuscript library.
- Flickr CommonsOffers public domain photographs and other photographs from national and international libraries, museums, archives, and cultural institutions.
- Le manuscrit medieval - The Medieval ManuscriptThis blog is dedicated to the great manuscript scholar Léopold Delisle (1826-1910), and to François Duine, clericus dolensis (1870-1924), and (almost exclusively!) to medieval manuscripts, up to and including their relationships with early printing.
- Internet Ancient History SourcebookThe Ancient History Sourcebook includes links to visual and aural material, since art and archeology are far more important for the periods in question than for later history. The emphasis remains on access to primary source texts for educational purposes.
- EuroDocsLinks connect to European primary historical documents that are transcribed, reproduced in facsimile, or translated.
In addition you will find video or sound files, maps, photographs or other imagery, databases, and other documentation.
The sources cover a broad range of historical happenings (political, economic, social and cultural).
The order of documents is chronological wherever possible. Link to Italy and Greece for documentation on Prehistory and Roman Empire (Italy) and Ancient Greece.