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IMC 2022: Sessions

Session 616: Breaking Down Disciplinary Borders: Connecting Historical and Archaeological Research, II - Analysing Animal Skins, from Parchment to Leather

Tuesday 5 July 2022, 11.15-12.45

Organiser:Claire Burridge, Faculty of History, University of Cambridge
Moderator/Chair:Claire Burridge, Faculty of History, University of Cambridge
Paper 616-aSkin to Skin: Biocodicological Analysis of a Medieval Birthing Girdle
(Language: English)
Sarah Fiddyment, BioArCh - Department of Archaeology, University of York
Index terms: Archaeology - Artefacts, Manuscripts and Palaeography, Medicine
Paper 616-bThe Use of Wild Animal Skins to Cover Manuscripts in the Middle Ages: What Biomolecular Analysis Can Tell Us
(Language: English)
Élodie Lévêque, Conservation Department, National Library of Ireland / GLOBE Institute, Københavns Universitet
Index terms: Archaeology - Artefacts, Manuscripts and Palaeography
Paper 616-cWriting the History of Denmark with High School Students: Species-Identifying Archaeological Leather through a Citizen Science Approach
(Language: English)
Luise Ørsted Brandt, GLOBE Institute, Københavns Universitet
Index terms: Archaeology - Artefacts, Daily Life, Teaching the Middle Ages
Abstract

The proposed session highlights cutting-edge research on medieval skins, reviewing the latest non-invasive techniques, recent findings and their implications, as well as the potential for community involvement. The first paper demonstrates how stains on parchment can reveal past medical practices and shows that manuscripts offer both textual and biological records. The second paper turns to manuscript bindings, examining the implications of species identification with respect to medieval book production. Moving to late medieval leather, the final paper showcases research from the Next Generation Lab, a new initiative that takes a citizen science approach by working with local school students.