Surprise as sealskin is discovered to be cover material of ‘hairy’ medieval books

The findings from volumes kept in a Cistercian monastery in France shed new light on a robust medieval trade network that went well beyond local sourcing

Hairy" medieval book covers previously thought to be made from deer or boar skin are in fact made of sealskin, researchers have found.

The covers of the 12th- and 13th-century books from French monasteries were made using seals believed to be from Scandinavia, Scotland and potentially Iceland or Greenland, hinting at extensive medieval trade networks.