Plural of cartulary; medieval books or registers that recorded property deeds, land grants, and legal documents belonging to churches, monasteries, or noble families.
From Medieval Latin 'cartularium,' derived from 'cartula' (small paper or document). Cartularies became essential record-keeping tools in medieval Europe, especially for institutions managing large estates and properties.
Cartularies are basically medieval blockchain—monasteries and nobles kept these carefully maintained records to prove land ownership, and many of them survived centuries, giving us an incredible window into medieval property rights and daily life.
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