Medieval birth girdle stains LC-MSMS

ABSTRACT: This project applied a dry non-invasive method to detect palaeoproteomic evidence from stained manuscripts. The manuscript analysed in this study is a medieval parchment birth girdle (Wellcome Collection Western MS. 632) made in England and thought to be used by pregnant women while giving birth. Using a dry non-invasive sampling method we were able to extract both human and non-human peptides from the stains, including evidence for the use of honey, cereals, ovicaprine milk and legumes. In addition, a large number of human peptides were detected on the birth roll, many of which are found in cervico-vaginal fluid. This suggests that the birth roll was actively used during childbirth. This study is the first to extract and analyse non-collagenous peptides from a parchment document using a dry non-invasive sampling method and demonstrates the potential of this type of analysis for stained manuscripts, providing direct biomolecular evidence for active use.

INSTRUMENT(S):

ORGANISM(S): Homo Sapiens (human) Ovis Aries Pisum Sativum (garden Pea) Vicia Faba Apis Mellifera (honeybee)

SUBMITTER: Sarah Fiddyment  

LAB HEAD: Matthew James Collins

PROVIDER: PXD022054 | Pride | 2021-09-09

REPOSITORIES: Pride