Introduction
Palaeography is a fascinating subject. It deals with the analytical study of the methods and types of writings in antiquity and their evolution through time. It has become a retirement hobby of mine which I am pursuing diligently. A practical aspect of palaeography requires practising calligraphic scripts. However, the realisation that writing calligraphic text is a rather slow process as it requires constant concentration and a little artistic flair, prompted me to develop calligraphic fonts for use in computers in order that I might be able to print sections of classical literature in the style in which they might have been created in their day, thus enhancing the enjoyment of reading such texts by bringing the printed material closer to its original looks and achieve a closer communion with the eminent masters of those great works. Those of you who know better than others what I am talking about, then: No! I have not yet developed the Tironian script to print Cicero's works in their true draft form. But, if you would have bought one of Cicero's books from Rome's many bookshops it would have been in a Rustic script or a variant of that called Quadrata. A century or so later the Uncial script and the Roman Miniscule were born.
With the kind permission of Fernando de Lasala, S.J., I would like to quote from the introduction of his humbly titled book: "Exercises in Latin Palaeography", published by the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. According to Dr. De Lasala "the term "palaeography" was coined by the Benedictine friar Bernard of Montfaucon [in the town of Limoux, near Carcassonne, in the Languedoc-Rousillon region of France], in the year 1703, by adapting two Greek words: "παλάια"=palaia=ancient and "γραφή"=graphe=writing." I would advise that the word scripture should also be closely associated with writing, but not necessarely implying holy scriptures, but all types of scriptures/writings.
Palaeography, writes Dr. De Lasala, is the "science that studies ancient scriptures, and more generally it is distinguished from other auxiliary sciences that investigate other types of writings; for example, primitive writings inscribed inside caves are investigated by Ethnology; inscriptions on stones, brass, earthenware or terracotta by Epigraphy; inscriptions on coins by Numismatics, and the analysis of emblems and seals by Heraldry and Sphragistics, respectively. Palaeography, therefore, confines its investigations to all types of writings and their history, and that make use of a soft writing support such as papyrus, wax tablets, linen/cotton, parchment and paper." But it also concerns itself with the instruments used to write with and the fabrication processes of both instruments, as well as the categorization of the works thus produced in terms of their graphic aspect, the type of written document produced, whether in the form of books, inscriptions, accounting books, letters, etc. irrespective of whether they were for private or public use, for religious or secular use.
Dr. De Lasala's book confines its study to Latin Palaeography to distinguish it from other areas of palaeographic research such as Greek Palaeography, Chinese Palaeography, Arabian Palaeography, Cherokee Palaeography, etc. By so doing it defines, also, the chronological boundaries of Latin Palaeography, viz. a period that goes from about the V century B.C. to the XVIII century A.D. Our interest here is in showing the origins of the Latin writings: hence this exercusion into the field of Palaeography is necessary.
The presentation will be limited to the development of the first scripts which, according to my judgement may well follow the following order:
The Cursive script, majuscule, examples of which are still seen in the graffiti of Pompey and other findings such as the Windolanda Tablets in northern England; I call this script Roman Cursive. It is my view that the Cursive script may have preceded the Capitals.
The "Capitalis Monumentalis" found on all Roman stone inscriptions and which forms the basis of our scripts and computer fonts even to the present day. This script is more commonly known by other names, such as Roman Capitals, Imperial Capitals, Trajan Capitals, etc.
The Monumentalis was followed by the "Capitalis Rustica". This script was derived from the Monumentalis and dictated by the need to write on soft materials with a reed pen, and also by the practical necessity to write faster vis-a-vis the Monumentalis, in order to reduce the cost of production in the bookshops of Rome (refer to some of the sayings by Martial in the page Scripta Manent), others by Quintilian.
The presentation is then followed by the script called "Capitalis Elegans", derived from the Rustic. Other variations exist and they are given the names of "Square Capitals" and "Quadrata".
Next comes the Uncial script, a majuscule script, followed by a Roman Miniscule Cursive which, in turn, generated the half uncial (semiuncialis) and the insular (Irish and Britannic) variations of this script, plus others across Europe. They are both miniscule scripts.
I will also mention, briefly, the Carolingian Minuscule script, developed in the IX century in the period of Charlemagne.
The Carolingian was followed by a number of Gothic scripts until the arrival of the Renaissance brought with it the new Humanist script which I consider to be the final evolution of a book-hand minuscule script and substantially the same as what we use today.
The final development can be considered to be the Cancelleresca script which begat the beautiful Italic script by Arrighi. This latter script evolved into the Cancelleresca Testeggiata cursive, still a calligraphic script but written with a fine pointed nib instead of a square cut nib, which is also more commonly referred to as Copperplate.
Timeline of the Evolution of Scripts.
Dating the evolution of the earliest writing scripts is not so simple as one might be led to believe. The subject is quite complex and exactness is somewhat 
elusive. There are a number of reasons for this situation, but perhaps the most appropriate explanation is to quote the eminent palaegrapher A.Petrucci from his book "Brief History of Latin Writing", available only in Italian; for a full reference see the Bibliography page: " The knowledge of the various materials used as a writing support over the different ages, and of the writing implements used to affix the writing upon them, is fundamental to the palaeographer as by enabling the study of the execution techniques for each such script, it forms an important and critical element for dating and for the geographic traceability of such graphic findings."
The timeline shown on the adjacent table, perhaps somewhat presumptously, is still under analysis to check its accuracy based on documented evidence. The periods are approximately correct.
N.B. The Roman Cursive is predominantly a majuscule script but some elements of minuscules are also present such as in the letter "d". In the house of Lucius Cecilius Iucundus located in Pompeii (AD 15-62) were found 127 wax tablets written in Roman Cursive, a time when the bookshops had been using Capitalis Rustica for their ink publications, and Capitalis Monumentalis for the epygraphic inscriptions on monuments and stones, such as the milestones themselves.
Pagina Recensita Idus Iunia A.U.C. MMDCCLXI