Close-up of medieval “feather book” bound in sealskin

In their latest study, archaeologists analyzed volumes from the Cistercian monastery of Clairvaux in France and its sister monasteries. Photo: @E. Lévêque et al.

They eventually identified 43 books bound in sealskin. Photo: @E. Lévêque et al.

Previously, it was reported that these “hairy” medieval books were made from deer and wild boar skins that were available locally. However, this is not true. Photo: @E. Lévêque et al.

Using advanced scientific exploration techniques such as Electrostatic Zooarchaeology with Mass Spectrometry (eZooMS) and ancient DNA probing analysis, experts discovered that these "feather books" had covers bound in sealskin . Photo: @E. Lévêque et al.

The covers of 12th and 13th century books at the Cistercian abbey of Clairvaux in France were made from the skins of harbor seals, harp seals and bearded seals. Photo: @E. Lévêque et al.

The skins of these seals were imported from the cold waters of the North Atlantic. They may have come from Scandinavia, Scotland, and possibly Iceland or Greenland. Photo: @E. Lévêque et al.

The use of sealskin as a manuscript cover was common in Scandinavia and Ireland. Photo: @E. Lévêque et al.

However, the use of sealskin in France surprised researchers. Because the location of the Cistercian monastery of Clairvaux in France and its subsidiary monasteries is very far inland. Photo: @E. Lévêque et al.

And there is no evidence of seal populations on the French coast during the Middle Ages. Photo: @E. Lévêque et al.

This, in part, suggests that Cistercian monks were deeply involved in medieval trade networks from a very early date, linking Cistercian monks to broader economic circuits including the fur trade with the Norse. Photo: @E. Lévêque et al.

Dear Readers, please watch the video: The Sibyline Mystery: The Book of Ancient Prophecies. Video source: @OV Van The.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/can-canh-cuon-sach-long-thoi-trung-co-duoc-dong-bang-da-hai-cau-post269001.html