Resources for Byzantinists
Manuscripts in the Byzantine Collection
Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss acquired the first manuscript for the museum in 1939. Over the years, the holdings have come to include four Greek manuscripts, one Georgian manuscript, three illuminated leaves from Greek manuscripts, one illustrated leaf from an Armenian manuscript, and four papyrus fragments with Greek writing.
Byzantine Collection
The Byzantine Collection, which encompasses the imperial, ecclesiastical, and secular realms, is one of the finest collections of portable, sumptuous objects in the world. Selected objects are on display in the Byzantine Gallery and Courtyard Gallery.
Library and Special Collections Resources
Resources for scholars in Byzantine, Garden and Landscape, and Pre-Columbian studies
Byzantine Seals
An ongoing project to record the 17,000 Byzantine lead seals held by Dumbarton Oaks and publish them online. Browse the collection, learn about sigillography, and download tools to introduce sigillography to students.
Ephemera Collection
The Ephemera Collection consists of a variety of materials related to the Byzantine and Pre-Columbian cultures and to worldwide gardens and landscapes that provide an alternative, popular cultural perspective on the academic research fields at Dumbarton Oaks.
Resources for Byzantine Hagiography
Dumbarton Oaks Hagiography Database, translations of Byzantine saints’ lives, and related publications from Dumbarton Oaks
Manuscripts-on-Microfilm Database
The Dumbarton Oaks Research Library holds almost two thousand microfilm rolls that are reproductions of medieval and early modern manuscripts, the originals of which are held in institutions around the world. This database allows researchers to search for specific manuscripts represented within the collection.
Bibliography on Gender in Byzantium
This resource, which began as a bibliography on women in Byzantium, has recently been supplemented by studies on eunuchs and a concern for masculinity. Last updated 2014.
Athena Ruby Inscription Font
Resources for Athena Ruby, a single, comprehensive font for use in the scholarly publication of Byzantine inscriptions. Athena Ruby, is an OpenType, Unicode-compliant font, and therefore compatible with all major operating systems.