How did De Re Diplomatica establish principles for authenticating medieval manuscripts?

Published in 1681, De Re Diplomatica by Jean Mabillon established the foundational principles for the science of diplomatics by creating a systematic method for verifying the authenticity and dating of medieval manuscripts.12

Mabillon developed these principles in response to claims by the Jesuit scholar Daniel van Papenbroeck, who had argued that most early-medieval documents were forgeries. To refute this, Mabillon introduced a rigorous, critical approach that required the detailed examination of both the external and internal features of a document.123

Key aspects of his methodology included:
* Critical Analysis: Establishing that authenticity must be determined through a systematic study of formal sources rather than mere assumption.1
* Paleography: Mabillon practically created the science of Latin paleography, which allowed scholars to analyze handwriting styles to verify the origin and age of charters.1
* Comparative Study: By examining the physical characteristics and script of documents, he provided a framework that allowed scholars to distinguish between genuine records and spurious ones.31

His work successfully demonstrated that many documents previously dismissed as forgeries were, in fact, authentic, thereby transforming the study of historical documents into a reputable scientific discipline.32