Using DNA to trace where medieval manuscripts were made

The link




Using the DNA of the animals whose skins were used to make the parchment. Will help scholar's to determine where they were written.

Thousands of painstakingly handwritten books produced in medieval Europe still exist today, but scholars have long struggled with questions about when and where the majority of these works originated.

On a larger scale, Stinson says, this research "will also allow us to trace the trade route of parchments" throughout the medieval world – a scholarly achievement that would provide a wealth of data on the evolution of the book industry during the Middle Ages.

S&F

This is a breakthrough.

This will surely help in determining if a said manuscript is actually from the claimed period or of recent manufacture and can weed out fakes.

reply to post by coredrill


Howdy Coredrill

They seemed to be concerned or interested in figuring out where some of these books were made. The unsaid background, is like you said, to determine if any are more modern fakes. Some medieval books are thought to have been copied or created in the 17-18th century.