Charters were already being written during the Roman period. The oldest archival document in the Netherlands is the (forged) charter that the German king Otto I granted in 950 to the Abbey of Thorn in Limburg. The oldest surviving written document is the wooden writing tablet from Tolsum, dating from 28 AD.

In the early Middle Ages, charters were written on papyrus. Later, they switched to parchment, which is extremely durable and made from the skin of cows, goats, sheep, or other animals. During the fourteenth century, paper also came into use.

Ecclesiastical and secular dignitaries such as popes, bishops, abbots and abbesses, emperors and empresses, kings and queens, dukes and duchesses, and counts and countesses were the first to record their agreements in charters. From the twelfth century onward, city governments, knights, priests, citizens, and farmers followed suit.

In the early Middle Ages, the signature was the most common method used in Western Europe to confer legal validity on charters. From the end of the ninth century, bishops began to lend evidentiary force to their charters by affixing a seal. Seals became more common during the eleventh century. Emperors, bishops, and princes were the first to use seals, followed by nobles, monasteries, and cities. Since the 13th century, aldermen and prominent citizens have also had their own seals. Most seals are made of beeswax, but the popes used lead, and a number of high princes and church leaders used gold or silver. A seal was not only a means of ratifying a charter but also served as a status symbol for the owner.

Charters are official documents, but they were also forged. Especially in the twelfth century, many false charters were produced. Since a charter could be used to assert one’s rights, it was tempting to forge a charter oneself when one lacked a legal title.

Initially, charters were written in Latin. From the thirteenth century onward, charters in the vernacular also began to appear. The oldest vernacular charter in Dutch Limburg dates from 1294.

Charters were carefully preserved in large chests or cabinets. Many charters have also been transcribed into registers, so we still have access to many medieval texts that have not survived in their original form. The fragile parchment charters are now kept in archives equipped with fire-resistant doors, advanced climate control, and alarm systems.

Medieval writers usually used a quill, but sometimes also a reed stem. The ink was iron gall ink, which consisted of iron salt, tannin from oak galls, water or wine, and a binder (gum arabic).

A charter is an official, written document intended to serve as proof of a legally binding agreement between two or more parties. It is drafted in accordance with established rules and formats that vary depending on the place of origin and the historical period.