CSMCCentre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures

When it comes to the history of ancient cultures, we know that there is much we do not know. The new volume of ‘Studies in Manuscript Cultures’ explores the many forms and implications of missing evidence and examines how researchers can engage productively with these gaps when reconstructing the past.

The UWA Cluster of Excellence is looking for a doctoral researcher with a background in psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, or a related field, to conduct an independent research project.

Everyday writings, often following no fixed plan, are likely to account for the majority of all handwritten production in human history. The new volume of ‘Studies in Manuscript Cultures’ explores how the practice of taking notes shapes written artefacts and vice versa.

The CSMC Computer Scientist has won an Excellent Oral Presentation Award at the 12th IEEE International Conference on Soft Computing & Machine Intelligence (ISCMI) 2025, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In the historiography of the Silk Road, Central Asian peoples such as the Uyghurs have so far played only a minor role. Wrongly so, argues historian Márton Vér. In his ERC project, he challenges Eurocentric and Sinocentric perspectives and turns the history of the complex supra-network on its head.

We are deeply saddened by the death of our colleague, Professor Dr Bruno Reudenbach (1952–2025). Bruno Reudenbach was one of the longest-standing members of the CSMC, having shaped and supported it since its very beginnings with great expertise, commitment, and passion.

‘Pearls and corals’ – the meaning of the Manipravalam language’s name is as poetic as the language itself is important to the history of South India. Still, it has hardly been researched. Suganya Anandakichenin has received a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant to gain a better understanding of it.

Great success for two of our researchers: the Indologist Suganya Anandakichenin and Márton Vér, a historian specialising in Central Asia, have each been awarded the prestigious five-year grant to carry out ambitious research projects.