Page 38 - Green - Maritime Archaeology: A Technical Handbook. 2nd ed

Chapter 2: Research 17
Figure 2.1 A view inside the old Algemeen Rijksarchief in Beijlenberg, The Hague. The colo- nial archive alone has over 20 km of records. These books are the Overgekomen Brieven en Papieren (returning correspondence from the Batavia) for the years 1630–1670. (Photograph courtesy of Algemeen Rijksarchief.)
For example, the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) records in the Algemeen Rijksarchief at Den Haag in The Netherlands are very exten- sive and include both primary and secondary sources (Meilink-Roelofsz et al., 1992). The primary sources are the letters, papers, books, and documents, all handwritten, which were made at the time and have been bound together into Letter Books or Committee Minute Books, etc., or exist as loose papers. With documentary sources originating in the 17th century or an earlier period, there is the immediate problem of reading the handwriting. The handwriting, particularly in English, can be very difficult to read. Cop- perplate writing came into use toward the end of the 17th century. A useful introduction and guide to handwriting is Hector (1966). Adding to the com- plication are the changes that the language has undergone over the years. This may not be a problem in interpreting one’s native language, but reading a foreign language can become a real difficulty, because the spelling of words has changed. Latin was often used in England in the 16th century for official records, creating more problems for those of us who lack the benefit of a classical education.
Notwithstanding the benefits, working for long periods in the archives carries its own problems. It is expensive to live in another town or in a