PARCHMENT CONSERVATION
Krems
Universität für Weiterbildung
University for Continuing Education Krems Mon 22 to Wed 24 August 2022
European Research Centre for Book and Paper Conservation-Restoration
Impact of conservation on biomolecular records
The workshop focuses on practical aspects of biocodicology (which includes biomolecular and imaging analyses allied to craft knowledge).
The core question in the conservation of manuscripts made of parchment is how to best preserve them for the use of scholars and, at the same time, avoid conservation methods and materials which interfere with potential future scientific research which will support the work of historians and philologists.
The workshop will concentrate on practical activities: how conservation treatment affects the manuscript’s microbiome and limits future research.
Questions from participants are warmly welcomed.
Lectures (some by Zoom) by Matthew Collins, Jiří Vnouček, Élodie Lévêque, Matthew Teasdale, Sarah Fiddyment, Annelise Binois, Samuel Johns, Elena Badea, and Patricia Engel.
Language: English
Please check the latest COVID regulations for entry into Austria
for additional travel details see the bottom of the page
Important Information
Feeding yourself on Sunday
On Sunday the supermarkets will be closed in Krems: Restaurants will be open.
If you need to get food at the supermarkets, those in the Airport and in the main Train Station will be open on Sunday
Keys to Kolpinghaus
You will get a code for the key to your room before you arrive in Krems.
Monday 22nd August 2022
9.00 - 12:00 Welcome and Practical
9.00 Welcome
Prof. Dr. Hanus, the head of the Department
9.15–12.00 Practical sessions - UWK room number H 3.6
This session will not be on Zoom
An introduction to ZooMS: Time to do some protein sequencing!
Participants will be given samples of collagen sequences on paper, conduct a virtual MALDI-TOF analysis and check the identifications. You may even become an amino acid ...
Lipid sampling: a demonstration
12.00 - 13.30 Lunch
13.30–17.00 Lectures & practical sessions - UWK room number H 3.6
Surveying parchment: Undertaking a visual survey, understanding the source animal, and clues to skin and parchment making
13:30 What it Biocodicology?
13.40 MHT enhanced information using spectroscopy and calorimetry
Elena Badea
14:20 What biocodicology can offer to conservators and the limits of visual examination
14:40 Visual analyses of parchment
15:10 Break
15:40 Reading a palimpsest using biocodicology
Laura Viñas (video link)
Taking samples and identifying pathogens
16:00 Sampling for DNA
Matthew Teasdale (video link)
16:30 Seeing Pathogens
Annelise Binois (video link)
17.00 Evening discussion
Tuesday 23rd August 2022
7.30 Bus to Kremsmünster Monastery (in front of UWK )
9.00-12.00 Kremsmünster monastery
Practical work on the manuscript collection at the monastery
Surveying parchment: hands on activities including visual surveys, identifying the source animal, and finding clues to parchment making
12.30-13.30 Lunch
13.30–17.00 Discussion and at Kremsmünster monastery
Video link (if possible)
Discussion of example manuscripts
17.30 Bus back to Krems
Wednesday 24th August 2022
9.00–12.00 Lectures - UWK room number H 3.6
Methods of conservation: damage and other features?
9:00 Traditional conservation methods for parchment and potential impacts on biomolecular records and hindrances to other recent analytical methods - a discussion
Patricia Engel
9:30 Effects of conservation treatment: a case study
Elena Badea
10:00 Past conservation treatments of parchment at the Austrian National Library.
Christa Hofmann, Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek
10:30 Break
11: 00 Codex as a Time Capsule
Jiří Vnouček, Det Kongelige Bibliotek
11:30 Conservation of the Montpelier Psalter
Lise Marandet
12:00 Eraser sampling
Sarah Fiddyment (video link)
12:30 Lunch
13.00–17.00
Legal issues, in particular relating to DNA collection and analysis
Breakout groups
Workshops & discussion - DUK room number H 3.6 & SEC 2.02
Five recommendations to take home
17.00 Close
Traveling to Krems
The closest airport to Krems is Vienna international airport. Train connections are available at: https://www.oebb.at/en/
There is a bus to the campus in Krems: https://www.krems.at/fileadmin/Dateien/Mobilitaet/KremsStadtbus_Fahrplan_2020_A6q_V.pdf
For anyone who is moderately fit, the walk from the station to the campus is feasible.
Maps
A map of the city and the campus can be downloaded at:
https://www.unser-stadtplan.at/Stadtplan/Krems/map/Stadtplan-Krems.map
and
https://www.donau-uni.ac.at/en/university/campus-krems/campus-map.html
Application
Please send your application for participation to patricia.engel@donau-uni.ac.at before 15 May 2022.
Registration fee: The course is sponsored by the Beasts to Craft project and there is no registration fee