Ancient books carry a lot of the most diverse information. From them we can learn how society developed, as well as what materials were used to manufacture certain items. How could these monuments of medieval culture survive to this day? Of course, much depended on the conditions in which the ancient tomes were kept. But the main role was still played by the material from which they were made. The worn leather for ancient books, the name of which is still quite often used by mankind in everyday life, is the main topic of this article.
Characteristics of Parchment
So what is parchment? In short, this is a finely crafted leather for ancient books. Parchment was distinguished from the papyrus that preceded it by higher strength, which made books more durable. In addition, this material was highly ductile. Books and letters from parchment could be bent and straightened again, while they did not break.
The leather for ancient books possessed another indisputable advantage over other materials: it was not subjected to wetting and greasing. Storing books from this material was easier and cheaper than papyrus scrolls. All this allowed the parchment to gain a leading role and completely replace the short-lived and fragile papyrus.
The origin of the word "parchment"
The first leather for ancient books is mentioned in manuscripts dated 2 millennium BC. e. It was then that Ptolemy V forbids exporting papyrus to neighboring countries. During this period, in Pergamum (a city in Asia Minor), local authorities planned to organize one of the largest libraries. As a result of an acute shortage of papyrus, local craftsmen set about inventing material for scrolls. As a result of short research, they opted for finely crafted calf skin. The name of the parchment originally sounded like “charta pergamena”, which meant “parchment sheets”. After several centuries, the name "parchment" was firmly entrenched in it.
Parchment Making Process
Making parchment is a very complex and lengthy process, and this is what caused the high cost of books from this material. To begin with, the skin removed from a young animal was washed with clean water, after which it was lowered into a vat with ash liquor (ashing of skins). After a certain period of time, the dressed skin was removed from the solution and dried out far from sunlight, but always in the wind. The skin thus prepared was degreased with chalk, rubbing it into the surface of the material. After this, the skin for a long time scrubbed and leveled with pumice.
The quality of the parchment depended on where it was made. The cheapest was leather for ancient books made in the southern regions. There, only the inner (meat) part of the skin was carefully processed, as a result of which one of its sides was covered with bristles. In the north of Europe, the parchment was subjected to double-sided processing, it was white and smooth on both sides, which is why it cost several times more.
What they wrote on parchment
In books and documents made of parchment, notes were made with feathers: goose, swan or peacock. Ink was the most diverse. The most durable were those made from ink nuts with the addition of gum.
A little later it became fashionable to write text with multi-colored ink. In the 11th century, priority was given to red ink; in 13th, blue and green colors were added to them. By the middle of the 14th century, gold and silver inks were used, which were used to write headlines and “holy names” in the gospel and the psalter.