Medieval women's early involvement in manuscript production suggested by lapis lazuli identification in dental calculus

A. Radini; M. Tromp; A. Beach; E. Tong; C. Speller; M. McCormick; J. V. Dudgeon; M. J. Collins; F. Rühli; R. Kröger; C. Warinner

doi:10.1126/sciadv.aau7126

Medieval women's early involvement in manuscript production suggested by lapis lazuli identification in dental calculus

A. Radini, M. Tromp, A. Beach, E. Tong, C. Speller, M. McCormick, J. V. Dudgeon, M. J. Collins, F. Rühli, R. Kröger, C. Warinner^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

During the European Middle Ages, the opening of long-distance Asian trade routes introduced exotic goods, including ultramarine, a brilliant blue pigment produced from lapis lazuli stone mined only in Afghanistan. Rare and as expensive as gold, this pigment transformed the European color palette, but little is known about its early trade or use. Here, we report the discovery of lapis lazuli pigment preserved in the dental calculus of a religious woman in Germany radiocarbon-dated to the 11th or early 12th century. The early use of this pigment by a religious woman challenges widespread assumptions about its limited availability in medieval Europe and the gendered production of illuminated texts.

Original language	English
Article number	eaau7126
Journal	Science Advances
Volume	26
Issue number	2
Number of pages	9
ISSN	2375-2548
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aau7126
Publication status	Published - 2019

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Medieval women's early involvement in manuscript production suggested by lapis lazuli identification in dental calculusFinal published version, 2.02 MBLicence: CC BY-NC

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title = "Medieval women's early involvement in manuscript production suggested by lapis lazuli identification in dental calculus",

abstract = "During the European Middle Ages, the opening of long-distance Asian trade routes introduced exotic goods, including ultramarine, a brilliant blue pigment produced from lapis lazuli stone mined only in Afghanistan. Rare and as expensive as gold, this pigment transformed the European color palette, but little is known about its early trade or use. Here, we report the discovery of lapis lazuli pigment preserved in the dental calculus of a religious woman in Germany radiocarbon-dated to the 11th or early 12th century. The early use of this pigment by a religious woman challenges widespread assumptions about its limited availability in medieval Europe and the gendered production of illuminated texts.",

author = "A. Radini and M. Tromp and A. Beach and E. Tong and C. Speller and M. McCormick and Dudgeon, {J. V.} and Collins, {M. J.} and F. R{\"u}hli and R. Kr{\"o}ger and C. Warinner",

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doi = "10.1126/sciadv.aau7126",

language = "English",

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T1 - Medieval women's early involvement in manuscript production suggested by lapis lazuli identification in dental calculus

AU - Radini, A.

AU - Tromp, M.

AU - Beach, A.

AU - Tong, E.

AU - Speller, C.

AU - McCormick, M.

AU - Dudgeon, J. V.

AU - Collins, M. J.

AU - Rühli, F.

AU - Kröger, R.

AU - Warinner, C.

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - During the European Middle Ages, the opening of long-distance Asian trade routes introduced exotic goods, including ultramarine, a brilliant blue pigment produced from lapis lazuli stone mined only in Afghanistan. Rare and as expensive as gold, this pigment transformed the European color palette, but little is known about its early trade or use. Here, we report the discovery of lapis lazuli pigment preserved in the dental calculus of a religious woman in Germany radiocarbon-dated to the 11th or early 12th century. The early use of this pigment by a religious woman challenges widespread assumptions about its limited availability in medieval Europe and the gendered production of illuminated texts.

AB - During the European Middle Ages, the opening of long-distance Asian trade routes introduced exotic goods, including ultramarine, a brilliant blue pigment produced from lapis lazuli stone mined only in Afghanistan. Rare and as expensive as gold, this pigment transformed the European color palette, but little is known about its early trade or use. Here, we report the discovery of lapis lazuli pigment preserved in the dental calculus of a religious woman in Germany radiocarbon-dated to the 11th or early 12th century. The early use of this pigment by a religious woman challenges widespread assumptions about its limited availability in medieval Europe and the gendered production of illuminated texts.

U2 - 10.1126/sciadv.aau7126

DO - 10.1126/sciadv.aau7126

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30662947

AN - SCOPUS:85060041342

SN - 2375-2548

VL - 26

JO - Science Advances

JF - Science Advances

IS - 2

M1 - eaau7126

ER -

Medieval women's early involvement in manuscript production suggested by lapis lazuli identification in dental calculus

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