MS B.10.5, fol. 62v, the Epistles of St Paul

Medieval Manuscripts Preserve DNA Evidence of Sheeppox History

DNA recovered from parchment, including the York Gospels and other medieval manuscripts, has helped researchers trace sheeppox virus through at least 3,500 years. Combined with evidence from Bronze Age sheep teeth, the study suggests the pathogen’s major lineages diverged during the era of animal domestication and sheep movement into Europe.