Editing Uncial script (section)

==Development==
Early uncial script is likely to have developed from late [[Old Roman cursive]]. Early forms are characterized by broad single [[stroke (disambiguation)|stroke]] [[Letter (alphabet)|letter]]s using simple round forms taking advantage of the new [[parchment]] and [[vellum parchment|vellum]] surfaces, as opposed to the angular, multiple stroke letters, which are more suited for rougher surfaces, such as [[papyrus]]. In the oldest examples of uncial, such as the ''[[De bellis macedonicis]]'' [[manuscript]] in the [[British Library]], all of the letters are disconnected from one another, and word separation is typically not used. Word separation, however, is characteristic of later uncial usage.

As the script evolved over the centuries, the characters became more complex. Specifically, around AD 600, flourishes and exaggerations of the basic strokes began to appear in more manuscripts. [[Ascender (typography)|Ascenders]] and [[descender]]s were the first major alterations, followed by twists of the tool in the basic stroke and overlapping. By the time the more compact [[Lower case|minuscule]] scripts arose circa AD 800, some of the evolved uncial styles formed the basis for these simplified, smaller scripts. Uncial was still used, particularly for copies of the [[Bible]], tapering off until around the 10th century. There are over 500 surviving copies of uncial script, by far the largest number prior to the [[Carolingian Renaissance]].