Blog posts

The Craft of Parchment, Klosterneuburg, 2023

8th September 2023, Ana de Oliveira Dias

Between the 29th and 31st August, members of the Crafting Documents project travelled to Klosterneuburg, Austria, to join the ABC and the B2C teams (as well as scientists, conservators, historians, and artists from all over Europe) in an exciting workshop dedicated to the art of parchment making in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages. Discussion focused not only on new scientific methods to the study of historical parchment but also on the identification of animal follicular patterns, skin splitting, and on the correct ways to use a lunellum.

This was an invaluable experience that allowed us to further our knowledge of historical techniques of parchment making and to reflect on the logistical challenges artisans and scribes faced when preparing membrane for writing.

You can learn more about the event here.