Radiocarbon Dating and Historiography of Early Quranic Manuscripts: An Interdisciplinary Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33511/alfanar.v9n1.13-25Keywords:
Radiocarbon dating, early quranic manuscripts, codex historiography, codicologyAbstract
The increasing application of radiocarbon dating in the study of early Quranic manuscripts has created new opportunities for reconstructing the history of the Quranic codex while simultaneously generating debates regarding its validity in determining the chronology of textual production. This article aims to examine the role of radiocarbon dating in Quranic manuscript studies and to evaluate its contributions and limitations in the historiography of early Quranic codices. The study employs a qualitative approach using content analysis as its research design. Data sources consist of scholarly books, peer-reviewed journal articles, archaeological reports, and studies of early Quranic manuscripts, particularly the Ṣana’a, Tubingen, and Birmingham fragments. Data were collected through documentation techniques and analyzed systematically to identify, interpret, and compare radiocarbon dating findings with codicological, paleographical, orthographic, and textual evidence. The findings indicate that radiocarbon dating is an effective tool for estimating the age range of parchment materials and assessing their possible association with specific historical periods. However, it cannot independently determine the date of textual inscription, nor can it fully explain the processes of textual transmission and canonization of the Quran. Therefore, the interpretation of radiocarbon results requires integration with broader interdisciplinary approaches. This study argues that radiocarbon dating should be positioned as a complementary instrument rather than a sole determinant in the historiography of early Quranic manuscripts.
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