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This essay analyses two document reuse techniques which were practised in the Savoy dominions during the 12th-15th centuries. Firstly, the cutting out of strips of parchment from discarded documents to affix seals on new documents: this practice, rarely attested in the solemn acts of counts and bishops, was frequent in the records of some Savoy judicial offices and the abbey chancery of Saint-Maurice. Secondly, the reuse of munda as a cover for registers containing administrative acts: this technique was little practised by the house of Savoy, but widespread among lords and monasteries. The different incidence of the document reuse techniques is related to the chains of production and preservation which were practised by the powers in the region.

This essay analyses the history of an islamic seal accidentally found nearby the medieval castle of Lagopesole (Basilicata, South of Italy). Starting from the informations contained in a newspaper article in 1889, this contribution aims to draw attention on a forgotten artefact which find could be a remarkable witness of social interactions in medieval southern Italy. Significant data for the research have been deduced from the correspondence between the archaeologist Domenico Ridola and the arabist Michele Amari at the end of the 19th century. The two exchanged views and interpretations about the seal but today they should be revised. In this outlook both the translation given by Amari and a picture of the seal were useful to understand some aspects of the artefact. The purpose of the present text is to define more clearly the features of the seal, his history and its archaeological context.