Getting under the skin of a Medieval mystery (University of York)

(Source: University of York) Posted on 23 November 2015 A simple PVC eraser has helped an international team of scientists led by bioarchaeologists at the University of York to resolve the mystery surrounding the tissue-thin parchment used by medieval scribes to produce the first pocket Bibles. Non-invasive sampling extracting protein from parchment using eraser crumbs. Reproduced by courtesy of The John Rylands Library, University-of-Manchester. Thousands of the Bibles were made in the 13th century, principally in France but also in England, Italy and Spain. But the origin of the parchment -- often called 'uterine vellum' -- has been a source of longstanding controversy. Use of the Latin...