In medieval Europe, scribes often wrapped their books in a protective outer layer made from the hairy hides of local land mammals, such as deer or boar. But in some instances, they also used sealskin, ...

The material on the covers of books from a French abbey was too hairy to have come from calves or other local mammals. Researchers identified its more distant origin. By Jack Tamisiea Medieval scribes ...

In medieval Europe, scribes often wrapped their books in the hairy hides of animals like deer or boar to act as protective coverings. But in some cases, they used sealskin, much to the surprise of ...