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Teasdale MD, Fiddyment S, Vnouček J, Mattiangeli V, Speller C, Binois A, Carver M, Dand C, Newfield TP, Webb CC, Bradley DG, Collins MJ. The York Gospels: a 1000-year biological palimpsest. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017. [PMID: 29134095 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.1p390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Medieval manuscripts, carefully curated and conserved, represent not only an irreplaceable documentary record but also a remarkable reservoir of biological information. Palaeographic and codicological investigation can often locate and date these documents with remarkable precision. The York Gospels (York Minster Ms. Add. 1) is one such codex, one of only a small collection of pre-conquest Gospel books to have survived the Reformation. By extending the non-invasive triboelectric (eraser-based) sampling technique eZooMS, to include the analysis of DNA, we report a cost-effective and simple-to-use biomolecular sampling technique for parchment. We apply this combined methodology to document for the first time a rich palimpsest of biological information contained within the York Gospels, which has accumulated over the 1000-year lifespan of this cherished object that remains an active participant in the life of York Minster. These biological data provide insights into the decisions made in the selection of materials, the construction of the codex and the use history of the object.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Teasdale
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | | | - Jiří Vnouček
- BioArCh, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Department of Preservation, The Royal Library, København K DK-1016, Denmark
| | | | | | - Annelise Binois
- Department of Archaeology, University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, 3 rue Michelet, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Martin Carver
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Catherine Dand
- Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Timothy P Newfield
- Departments of History and Biology, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets NW, ICC 600, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | | | - Daniel G Bradley
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Matthew J Collins
- BioArCh, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Museum of Natural History, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Teasdale MD, Fiddyment S, Vnouček J, Mattiangeli V, Speller C, Binois A, Carver M, Dand C, Newfield TP, Webb CC, Bradley DG, Collins MJ. The York Gospels: a 1000-year biological palimpsest. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170988. [PMID: 29134095 PMCID: PMC5666278 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Medieval manuscripts, carefully curated and conserved, represent not only an irreplaceable documentary record but also a remarkable reservoir of biological information. Palaeographic and codicological investigation can often locate and date these documents with remarkable precision. The York Gospels (York Minster Ms. Add. 1) is one such codex, one of only a small collection of pre-conquest Gospel books to have survived the Reformation. By extending the non-invasive triboelectric (eraser-based) sampling technique eZooMS, to include the analysis of DNA, we report a cost-effective and simple-to-use biomolecular sampling technique for parchment. We apply this combined methodology to document for the first time a rich palimpsest of biological information contained within the York Gospels, which has accumulated over the 1000-year lifespan of this cherished object that remains an active participant in the life of York Minster. These biological data provide insights into the decisions made in the selection of materials, the construction of the codex and the use history of the object.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Teasdale
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
- Authors for correspondence: Matthew D. Teasdale e-mail: ;
| | - Sarah Fiddyment
- BioArCh, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Authors for correspondence: Sarah Fiddyment e-mail:
| | - Jiří Vnouček
- BioArCh, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Department of Preservation, The Royal Library, København K DK-1016, Denmark
| | | | | | - Annelise Binois
- Department of Archaeology, University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, 3 rue Michelet, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Martin Carver
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Catherine Dand
- Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Timothy P. Newfield
- Departments of History and Biology, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets NW, ICC 600, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | | | - Daniel G. Bradley
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Matthew J. Collins
- BioArCh, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Museum of Natural History, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Authors for correspondence: Matthew J. Collins e-mail:
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