“Introduction to the Archivo General de Indias: A Global Archive”
Mediterranean Studies Summer Skills Seminar
15—18 June 2026 • Remote
The Summer Skills Seminar, “Introduction to the Archivo General de Indias: A Global Archive” will be held via Teams from Monday, 22 June to Thursday, 25 June 2026 from 10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm MDT.
REGULAR REGISTRATION UNTIL 26 APRIL
APPLY HERE
This course offers an in-depth introduction to the Archive of the Indies (Archivo General de Indias) in Seville, one of the world’s most important repositories for the study of the Spanish Empire and the early modern Atlantic world. Founded in 1785, the archive houses millions of documents produced by Spanish colonial institutions governing the Americas and the Philippines from the 15th to the 20th centuries, featuring the five continents and numerous different languages. The course is open to anyone -undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, librarians, archivists and general public- interested in early modern, Atlantic, and global history, even with little or no research experience.
Course overview
The course combines short lectures with direct engagement with primary sources, introducing students to archival research practices, catalog systems, basic paleographic skills and the main vocabulary and key concepts present in the documents. Attention is also given to interpreting documents within their historical and institutional contexts, as well as to critical questions about archives as instruments of imperial power and historical memory. Therefore, Students will explore the historical origins, organization, and functions of the archive, as well as its role in shaping modern understandings of empire, colonial administration, commerce, migration, religion, science, and everyday life in the Indies.
Each session addresses different aspects of the archival experience, starting with a historical introduction to the archive as an institution and the logics of its catalogue. Sessions will also be devoted to different sections or administrative bodies represented in the archive, such as the Council of the Indies, the Casa de la Contratación, and other colonial institutions -Audiencias, viceroyalties, city councils, cacicazgos- responsible for governance, trade, justice, and communication across the Spanish Empire. Through guided analysis of selected documents, students will learn how these sections functioned historically and how their records are organized and accessed today.
By the end of the eight sessions, students will have developed a practical working knowledge of the Archive of the Indies, an understanding of its major sections and document types, and the foundational skills needed to pursue further independent research within the archive.
This Summer Skills Seminar builds on the experience of earlier editions, which participants described as “transformative” in terms of their research, and which provided them with an opportunity to network and lay the foundations for future collaborations. For information and participant reviews of our former Skills Seminars see here.
Faculty
Jorge Díaz Ceballos is senior researcher at the Escuela de Estudios Hispano-Americanos, part of Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) Institute of History in Seville. He holds a PhD in history and humanistic studies from Pablo de Olavide University, Seville (2017) and a Master's degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from the New York University (2010). Before joining CSIC, Díaz Ceballos was a Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow at the European University Institute (2019-2020), Ramón y Cajal researcher (2024) and Fulbright Commission fellow (2008-2010) at NYU. His research, widely based on primary sources mainly from Archivo General de Indias, focuses on the construction of the early modern Spanish Empire and the creation of the Atlantic as a coherent space for transmission, exchange and conflict of people, cultures and ideas to explore the cultural transaction between Europe and the Atlantic world, emphasizing practices over theories to understand political realities on the ground. His first monograph, Poder compartido. Repúblicas urbanas, Monarquía y Conversación en Castilla del Oro, 1508-1573 was published with Marcial Pons in 2020 and his work has been published in journals such as the Colonial Latin American Review (honorary mention for the Pease Prize in 2019), the Journal of Early American History or Anuario de Estudios Americanos. Díaz Ceballos’ current research project explores the role witnesses’ testimonies in criminal court cases retrieved from AGI to understand the inner logic of local colonial societies and the construction of a transatlantic legal culture over the early modern period.
Prerequisites and preparation
Applicants should have at least an intermediate level of reading Spanish. The course will be taught in English.
Sample documents
1) Panamá 32, N. 1. Carta del cabildo de Nombre de Dios, 18-02-1541 (transcription)
2) Patronato Real, 26, R. 17, f. 3v—4r (transcription)
3) AGI, Indiferente General, 426, L. 28, f. 133v-134r-134v (transcription)
Please note: sessions will not be recorded; synchronous attendance is required.
Application & Information
The regular application period is until April 26.
There is an application deposit of $100USD or €100. This will be refunded when course payment is made.
Late applications will be accepted if there is availability and will be subject to a late fee.
If you are not accepted your application deposit will be refunded.
Applicants will be advised of acceptance by May 1. Payment is due on 15 May. Applicants waiting on a grant or subvention should contact us without delay to make arrangements.
Late applicants may be accommodated if space remains. For late applicants full payment will be due within three days of acceptance, including a $75 surcharge for late applications, or be subject to an additional fee.
All payments are final and non-refundable. A letter of confirmation/ receipt will be provided by the Mediterranean Seminar, together with a certificate of completion once the course has concluded.
NOTE: Numbers are limited; participants are encouraged to apply early.
Fees
There has been no increase in fees for 2026
• $1100 for Full Professors, Librarians & Professionals
• $825 for tenured Associates, Emerita/us, Retired Faculty, Independent Scholars & Non-Academics;
• $575 for non-tenured Associates and Assistants, Postdoctoral Fellows & Graduate and Undergraduate students;
• $400 for Adjuncts, Lecturers & Contingent faculty.
Limited reductions are offered to applicants who are (1) nationals; (2) current residents; (3) AND faculty or students in low-per-capita GDP countries may apply for a reduction (the Low-GDP Bursary program).
Payment information will be provided at the time of acceptance. Posted fees do not include a 5% processing fee.
How do we determine our fees?
Why have our fees gone up
Can I get a reduction in fees?
What is the low-GDP Bursary program?
Program
Monday, 15 June 2026
10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm
1. Introduction: what are the “Indies”? The Americas and beyond
2. Navigating PARES
Tuesday, 16 June 2026
10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm
1. How to read AGI documents? Key concepts, abreviations and names
2. What to study in AGI? From below and from above
Wednesday, 17 June 2026
10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm
1. Sections 1: Patronato Real, Gobierno, Contratación
2. Sections 2: Justicia, Contaduría, others
Thursday, 18 June 2026
10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm
1. Maps and Images: where to find them, how to use them
2. Other archives and libraries with Indies materials
Important dates:
Application period: 26 April 2026
Acceptance/stand by notifications: 5 May 2026
Full payment: 12 May 2026 (subject to extension for late applicants/ or pending grants)
NOTE: Numbers are limited; participants are encouraged to apply early.
Information
For general information regarding fees, enrollment, and administrative matters, contact the Mediterranean Seminar; for questions regarding seminar content and materials, contact the instructor directly.