Random fact of the day

[shewhomust]

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.

Comments

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

> The Lindisfarne Gospels weigh about the same as a badger.

Ok, you *knew* I'd really appreciate that one. ;-D

::wishing I could have attended that lecture with you guys::

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yes, I thought you might like it...

It was a good lecture - and a good party, too, I'm sure you'd have enjoyed them both!

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

Just had to add: I read your Random Fact of the Day to Jonathan and he laughed very hard, much harder than he usually does. He thanks you for that tasty tidbit.

[sovay]

The Lindisfarne Gospels weigh about the same as a badger.

That sentence makes me happy.

I wonder how much a badger gospel weighs.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

About the same as Lindisfarne?

[durham-rambler.livejournal.com]

"The skins of 128 calves were used to make the Lindisfarne Gospels and the bound book weighs 8.7kg or as much as an adult badger"
That's 19.2 of your old pounds. Here's the best source I could find though I think they got it from a fact sheet published back in July.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Some great pictures in that article...