Medieval Manuscripts Found to Be Bound in Sealskin, Redefining Trade and Crafting Practices

Medieval Books Were Covered in Exotic Sealskins - Archaeology Magazine

Sealskin cover of Ms 35 in the collection of Médiathèque du Grand Troyes CLAIRVAUX ABBEY, FRANCE—Hundreds of years ago, Cistercian monks in France protected their treasured literary works with covers made from exotic animal skins, Science News reports. Clairvaux Abbey was founded in 1115 and its literary collection today contains over 1,000 medieval books. Most of these were wrapped with deer, sheep, or boar skin, but ancient DNA analysis of sev…

Mystery of medieval manuscripts revealed by ancient DNA

Biomolecular analysis shows that unusual book coverings are made of sealskin, hinting at far-flung trade networks. Biomolecular analysis shows that unusual book coverings are made of sealskin, hinting at far-flung trade networks.

Some 'Hairy' Medieval Books Were Covered in Sealskin, and Researchers Don't Know Exactly Why

Historians were surprised when analyses revealed Catholic monks used pinniped hides for the protective outer layer on some manuscripts, rather than skins from the local boars and deer

Analysis of medieval books reveals many were bound with sealskin

An international team of archaeologists, bioinformatic specialists, and historians has discovered that many medieval books were bound using seal skin. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group describes their biocodicological analysis of medieval books.

Hairy Skin Covering Medieval Texts Traveled Quite a Ways

A set of medieval manuscripts detailing real and imagined creatures was bound in the skin of a slippery animal that hailed far from the books' creators, according to new research...

The white fur was not only waterproof, but it even matched the monks' white robes.