A recent study published in Royal Society Open Science has uncovered that many Cistercian manuscripts from the High Middle Ages were bound in seal skin. This research utilized innovative methods, such as eZooMS and ancient DNA analysis, to trace the bindings to harbour seals, harp seals, and even bearded seals, highlighting the far-reaching Norse trade networks. The findings particularly focus on manuscripts from Clairvaux Abbey, emphasizing the unexpected origins of materials previously believed to be local, enhancing our understanding of medieval trade dynamics and material culture.
This integration of the biological sciences into the study of historical manuscripts not only provides a clearer picture of the material culture of medieval Europe, but also illustrates the extensive trade networks that Cistercian monasteries were part of.
Using a cutting-edge method known as eZooMS alongside ancient DNA analysis, researchers identified the animal origins of 19 manuscript bindings.
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