Academic Journal
Hiding in plain sight:the biomolecular identification of pinniped use in medieval manuscripts
| Τίτλος: | Hiding in plain sight:the biomolecular identification of pinniped use in medieval manuscripts |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | Lévêque, Élodie, Teasdale, Matthew D., Fiddyment, Sarah, Bro-Jørgensen, Maiken Hemme, Spindler, Luke, Macleod, Ruairidh, Bougard, François, Olsen, Morten Tange, Collins, Matthew |
| Πηγή: | Lévêque , É , Teasdale , M D , Fiddyment , S , Bro-Jørgensen , M H , Spindler , L , Macleod , R , Bougard , F , Olsen , M T & Collins , M 2025 , ' Hiding in plain sight : the biomolecular identification of pinniped use in medieval manuscripts ' , Royal Society Open Science , vol. 12 , no. 4 , 241090 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.241090 |
| Έτος έκδοσης: | 2025 |
| Συλλογή: | University of Copenhagen: Research / Forskning ved Københavns Universitet |
| Θεματικοί όροι: | biocodicology, medieval manuscripts, Norse trade networks, pinniped, Romanesque bindings, sealskin |
| Περιγραφή: | The survival of medieval manuscripts in their original bindings remains a rare occurrence. Taking advantage of the diversity of bindings in Cistercian libraries such as Clairvaux and its daughter abbeys during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, this study focuses on the biocodicological analysis of medieval manuscript bindings, with particular emphasis on the use of sealskins. Using innovative methods such as electrostatic zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (eZooMS) and ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis, this research identifies the animal species and origin of the leather used in these bindings as predominantly pinniped (seal) species. In particular, the collagen-based eZooMS technique facilitated the classification of seven chemises into the pinniped clade, although species identification remained elusive, except in one additional case where a bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) was definitively identified. aDNA analysis was instrumental in verifying the origin of the sealskins, with four samples identified as harbour seals and a single sample as a harp seal and sourced to (contemporary) populations in Scandinavia, Scotland and Iceland or Greenland. This geographical inference supports the notion of a robust medieval trade network that went well beyond local sourcing, linking the Cistercians to wider economic circuits that included fur trade with the Norse. The study, therefore, highlights the use of an unexpected skin (seal) from an unexpected source (the northwestern Atlantic). The widespread use of sealskins in Cistercian libraries such as Clairvaux and its daughter abbeys during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries hints at broader trade networks that brought, for example, walrus ivory from the far north into continental Europe. 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, challenging previous ... |
| Τύπος εγγράφου: | article in journal/newspaper |
| Περιγραφή αρχείου: | application/pdf |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1098/rsos.241090 |
| Διαθεσιμότητα: | https://researchprofiles.ku.dk/da/publications/e9d8356a-4535-4add-a723-420d6bc7cde4 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.241090 https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/447839747/l_v_que-et-al-hiding-in-plain-sight-the-biomolecular-identification-of-pinniped-use-in-medieval-manuscripts.pdf |
| Rights: | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Αριθμός Καταχώρησης: | edsbas.D059228C |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | BASE |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://researchprofiles.ku.dk/da/publications/e9d8356a-4535-4add-a723-420d6bc7cde4# Name: EDS - BASE (ns324271) Category: fullText Text: View record from BASE |
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| IllustrationInfo | |
| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Hiding in plain sight:the biomolecular identification of pinniped use in medieval manuscripts – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lévêque%2C+Élodie%22">Lévêque, Élodie</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Teasdale%2C+Matthew+D%2E%22">Teasdale, Matthew D.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fiddyment%2C+Sarah%22">Fiddyment, Sarah</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bro-Jørgensen%2C+Maiken+Hemme%22">Bro-Jørgensen, Maiken Hemme</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Spindler%2C+Luke%22">Spindler, Luke</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Macleod%2C+Ruairidh%22">Macleod, Ruairidh</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bougard%2C+François%22">Bougard, François</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Olsen%2C+Morten+Tange%22">Olsen, Morten Tange</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Collins%2C+Matthew%22">Collins, Matthew</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: Lévêque , É , Teasdale , M D , Fiddyment , S , Bro-Jørgensen , M H , Spindler , L , Macleod , R , Bougard , F , Olsen , M T & Collins , M 2025 , ' Hiding in plain sight : the biomolecular identification of pinniped use in medieval manuscripts ' , Royal Society Open Science , vol. 12 , no. 4 , 241090 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.241090 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Year Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: Subset Label: Collection Group: HoldingsInfo Data: University of Copenhagen: Research / Forskning ved Københavns Universitet – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22biocodicology%22">biocodicology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22medieval+manuscripts%22">medieval manuscripts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Norse+trade+networks%22">Norse trade networks</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22pinniped%22">pinniped</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Romanesque+bindings%22">Romanesque bindings</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22sealskin%22">sealskin</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Description Group: Ab Data: The survival of medieval manuscripts in their original bindings remains a rare occurrence. Taking advantage of the diversity of bindings in Cistercian libraries such as Clairvaux and its daughter abbeys during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, this study focuses on the biocodicological analysis of medieval manuscript bindings, with particular emphasis on the use of sealskins. Using innovative methods such as electrostatic zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (eZooMS) and ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis, this research identifies the animal species and origin of the leather used in these bindings as predominantly pinniped (seal) species. In particular, the collagen-based eZooMS technique facilitated the classification of seven chemises into the pinniped clade, although species identification remained elusive, except in one additional case where a bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) was definitively identified. aDNA analysis was instrumental in verifying the origin of the sealskins, with four samples identified as harbour seals and a single sample as a harp seal and sourced to (contemporary) populations in Scandinavia, Scotland and Iceland or Greenland. This geographical inference supports the notion of a robust medieval trade network that went well beyond local sourcing, linking the Cistercians to wider economic circuits that included fur trade with the Norse. The study, therefore, highlights the use of an unexpected skin (seal) from an unexpected source (the northwestern Atlantic). The widespread use of sealskins in Cistercian libraries such as Clairvaux and its daughter abbeys during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries hints at broader trade networks that brought, for example, walrus ivory from the far north into continental Europe. 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, challenging previous ... – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: article in journal/newspaper – Name: Format Label: File Description Group: SrcInfo Data: application/pdf – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1098/rsos.241090 – Name: URL Label: Availability Group: URL Data: https://researchprofiles.ku.dk/da/publications/e9d8356a-4535-4add-a723-420d6bc7cde4<br />https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.241090<br />https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/447839747/l_v_que-et-al-hiding-in-plain-sight-the-biomolecular-identification-of-pinniped-use-in-medieval-manuscripts.pdf – Name: Copyright Label: Rights Group: Cpyrght Data: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: edsbas.D059228C |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.D059228C |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1098/rsos.241090 Languages: – Text: English Subjects: – SubjectFull: biocodicology Type: general – SubjectFull: medieval manuscripts Type: general – SubjectFull: Norse trade networks Type: general – SubjectFull: pinniped Type: general – SubjectFull: Romanesque bindings Type: general – SubjectFull: sealskin Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Hiding in plain sight:the biomolecular identification of pinniped use in medieval manuscripts Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Lévêque, Élodie – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Teasdale, Matthew D. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Fiddyment, Sarah – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Bro-Jørgensen, Maiken Hemme – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Spindler, Luke – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Macleod, Ruairidh – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Bougard, François – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Olsen, Morten Tange – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Collins, Matthew IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-locals Value: edsbas – Type: issn-locals Value: edsbas.oa Titles: – TitleFull: $2 Type: main |
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