Researchers have created a method to recover cellular material from historic parchment without causing damage, opening new possibilities for analyzing genetic information preserved in these documents. Parchment, manufactured from animal skin and used for thousands of years across Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, contains biological material alongside written records such as legal documents and maps. This genetic content can provide researchers with data about the origins and production of individual manuscripts, according to scholars at North Carolina State University.
The preserved DNA could yield significant historical insights beyond manuscript origins. Researchers may use recovered genetic information to investigate how domesticated animals evolved over centuries, track the emergence of different livestock breeds, and understand diseases that affected farm animals. Since parchments have been extensively documented and widely used throughout history, the genetic information they contain offers potential for studying the development of agricultural species and farming practices across different time periods.
A major barrier to this research has been access to rare manuscripts. Institutions preserving these culturally significant documents have been reluctant to allow sampling due to concerns about potential damage. The new technique addresses these concerns by using a simple, non-invasive sampling method. Researchers gently rub the parchment surface with dry cytology brushes—the same instruments used in medical screening—which collect cellular material while preserving the document’s integrity. After collection, researchers apply forensic-level sequencing technologies to isolate and amplify genetic sequences.
To validate the approach, scientists collected cellular samples from 91 manuscripts housed at Duke University’s Rubenstein Library. The manuscripts originated from locations spanning England to Ethiopia and date from the late eighth to early twentieth centuries. The successful extraction of substantial genetic information without damaging the parchments is expected to increase institutional confidence in allowing researchers to study valuable manuscript collections.
Researchers describe historic parchment as a largely unexplored source of information that could bridge genetics with traditional historical and archaeological inquiry. Scholars plan to seek additional funding to expand the work, viewing the field as an emerging interdisciplinary domain combining expertise in genetics, medieval history, and related fields.
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