Forgery of official documents by monks was rife across medieval Europe, new book shows
E-Mail Forgery of official documents by monks was rife across medieval Europe because of social changes and the growing importance of the written word, a new book shows. Fake documentation began to be produced in earnest in the tenth century across much of the continent and was the "white lie of the Middle Ages". Monks justified deceit because they felt their efforts were for the greater good. During this time many diocesian boundaries were being drawn for the first time, and there were changing practices in law and administration. The book, by Dr Levi Roach from the University of Exeter, a...
Source: eurekalert.org
