Ancient script in which letters (all capitals) are formed by simple rounded strokes rather than the several strokes required to form each letter in classical square script. P64 & P67, the oldest fragments of a synoptic gospel, are excellent examples of this transition. Uncial Greek & Latin scripts emerged in the 2nd c. CE due to the increased demand for books. The shift from papyrus to smoother writing surfaces of parchment & vellum in the 3rd-4th c. made uncial the dominant script form for centuries, until the development of more compact minuscule scripts after 800 CE. The earliest gospel mss. are written in uncial Greek, except for the few papyrus fragments that can be dated before 200 CE.

Other On-line Resources:

• Evolution of Uncial Script: Robert B. Waltz compares the script of 10 uncial mss. with the classic block Greek characters on the Rosetta stone.

• Tables of Uncials: Waltz provides tables to compare contents & textual critics' assessment of lettered & numbered uncials. For professional scholars & advanced students.