Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2022
Volume
66
Issue
1
Journal
Manuscripta
First Page
97
URL with Digital Object Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1484/J.MSS.5.134726
Last Page
123
Abstract
Glues, and in particular glued spines, are notable features of late medieval European books, yet little research has been done into how they were sourced, produced, and used. In this article we present preliminary results from using the paleoproteomic methods of Electromagnetic Zooarchaeology through Mass Spectrometry (eZooMS) and Peptide Mass Fingerprinting (PMF) to identify the source species for animal glues used in late medieval books. We first introduce readers to the principal kinds of glue used in medieval craftsmanship and what is known about their use in bookbinding, principally from the discipline of book conservation. We describe the micro-sampling methods of eZooMS, in which a PVC eraser is rubbed gently on the surface of the book. We then describe the process through which we tested and fine-tuned our sampling methods on eight medieval books held in Canadian repositories, addressing some of the challenges we faced, potential further uses or expansions upon the technique, and the benefits of our collaborative approach to such “manuscientific” studies.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Notes
This is an open access chapter distributed under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License and first published at https://doi.org/10.1484/J.MSS.5.134726