June 18, 2026
Memory Research Group: Writing on Hands - Early Modern Memory and Knowledge Practices
Writing on hands as a memory technique in early modern EuropeMaterial practices of memory and knowledge inscriptionHistorical exhibition on early modern mnemonic strategiesBook catalog analysis: Writing on Hands - Memory and knowledge in early modern Europe
Participants: keikreutler
The Memory Research Group convened to discuss a reading focused on the practice of writing on hands as a memory technique in early modern Europe. Participant keikreutler introduced a primary text consisting of an 8-page article alongside exhibition materials and scans from works included in a catalog titled 'Writing on Hands: Memory and knowledge in early modern Europe.' The session appears designed to examine how early modern individuals used their bodies, specifically hands, as surfaces for recording and retaining knowledge and memory.
- The group examined historical practices of writing on hands as a deliberate memory and knowledge retention strategy in early modern Europe, suggesting embodied inscription was a significant cognitive practice.
- The session focused on a scholarly exhibition and its accompanying catalog, indicating the group's interest in how memory practices are documented and curated as historical evidence.