Characterization of materials and conservation process of the Collection of Arabic manuscript documents of Granada Archivo Histórico Provincial

Abstract

This paper presents the main conclusions of our study of the Arabic documents preserved in the Archivo Histórico Provincial of Granada. The analysis of the contents of each document, the materials and inks used in their support, and also the similarities of the page layout reveals the use of identical production protocols. Furthermore, this research also enables us to establish important similarities between the paper production processes in the latter stages of the Islamic rule in the Iberian Peninsula and the earlier stages of its incorporation in the Crown of Castilla – in particular in relation to how the archival documents were issued, both externally and internally.