Primary Source Databases Research Guide

A large collection of documents in law, history, and diplomacy. A small number are from ancient Europe and the Near East.

An online repository of pre-modern Chinese texts. Many are translated into English, but some are untranslated.

Large browsable database of Neo-sumerian texts, seals, and tablets, every entry has a scanned image. Many are not translated.

Fully digitized manuscripts held by the British Library going back to 0 CE.

Large collection of digitized papyri from ancient Egypt. Most items in the collection are cataloged by subject and translated.

Online archive of classical Greco-Roman works (some chinese and near-eastern works as well)

A large collection of full-text primary sources from the ancient world, organized by region. Has sources from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, India, Israel, and Rome.

Internet Archive of electronic texts on religion, mythology, and folklore. Texts are presented in English translation and, where possible, in the original language.

Searchable collection of Material Culture maintained by the California Academy of Sciences Department of Anthropology.

Includes primary and secondary sources on the history, literature and culture of the Greco-Roman world, including Philosophy.

An online text-searchable database of Babylonian, Assyrian, and Akkadian Literature from 2400-1100 BCE.

A large collection of translations of sources written before 600 CE, sometimes with more than one translation of the same source.

Significant primary materials that represent the culture of countries around the world. Sponsored by UNESCO and the Library of Congress. Contains international materials from 8000 BCE to the present.

A large collection of documents in law, history, and diplomacy. A small number are from ancient Europe and the Near East.

An online repository of pre-modern Chinese texts. Many are translated into English, but some are untranslated.

A list of full-text primary sources on medieval military history.

Fully digitized manuscripts held by the British Library going back to 0 CE.

Online, text-searchable version of the Domesday Book.

An online collection of letters written from the 7th to the 14th century, all by women.

Links to Western European historical documents that are transcribed, reproduced in facsimile, or translated.

Comprehensive collection of the Icelandic sagas in English and Icelandic

Online collection of early Christian writings, mostly from 200-1200 CE.

Collections of public domain and copy-permitted primary source documents, many in full text. This links to their collection of documents in Islamic History.

Collection of public domain and copy-permitted primary source documents, many in full text. This links to their collection of documents in Medieval History.

Internet Archive of electronic texts on religion, mythology, and folklore. Texts are presented in English translation and, where possible, in the original language.

A Harvard University project which has digitized and cataloged hundreds of Islamic manuscripts from the 10th to the 20th century. Most are not translated into English.

This is part of the Labyrinth project at Georgetown. Includes links to Latin text databases on the Internet, articles on Latin texts and culture, reference sources, teaching resources, etc. Armarium Labyrinthi: Labyrinth Latin Bookcase takes you directly to Latin texts and translations.

A project of the University of Texas at Austin, contains digitized versions of more than 200 significant medieval manuscripts. Most are text-searchable.

A collection of primary sources, arranged chronologically, which involve travel or settlement along the silk road.

Significant primary materials that represent the culture of countries around the world. Sponsored by UNESCO and the Library of Congress. Contains international materials from 8000 BCE to the present.

A collection of primary sources and narrative compiled by Dartmouth history professor Cecelia Gaposchkin. Topics include the First through Fifth Crusades, Pilgrimage and Travel Accounts, Arabic Sources in Translation, and Byzantine Sources.