Random fact of the day

The Lindisfarne Gospels weigh about the same as a badger.

Reported without comment from a lecture by Dr David Petts on New Perspectives on the Archaeology of Anglo-Saxon Lindisfarne.

Since this was billed as "A lecture to celebrate the presence of the Lindisfarne Gospels in Durham", perhaps he felt obliged to say something - anything - about them.

There seem to be two aspects to the archaeology of Anglo-Saxon Lindisfarne, the past and the future. On the one hand, you have the digs which have already taken place, and which have not been published, so that meta-archaeology is required to sort and organise the data (including some field notes on the back of a cigarette packet). Compared to this, on the other hand, the excavations which have not yet taken place seemed more solid, represented by photographs of shell middens and an incised cross on the rocks below the castle.

An afternoon well-spent - and it was followed by a visit to Gail-Nina and a party chez samarcand, so a good day altogether.