Conservation of a parchment codex of the eleventh century

Before conservation treatment

Tightening with clamps

After conservation treatment

The parchment manuscript contains a dialog of Pope Big Gregory and the biography of Saint Benedict in latin and greek.

Condition

Due to water damage the pages of the text block were extremly injured. Ink corrosion and mold had led to discolouration. There were many losses and tears. Some pages stuck together.

Conservation report

The goal of conservation was to make the codex accessible for scientists again. Sticking pages were to be seperated, losses filled and the parchment shoul be made flexible again. All these works had to be carried out without bringing in big amounts of moisture.

All pages were put into a moisture chamber for several hours and tightend with clamps during drying. Before that sticking pages were seperated.

Big losses were filled with parchment. Therefore premade unique parchment pieces were made from parchment powder, cellulose fibre and several other additives. Sturgeon glue and rice starch paste were used as adhesives.

After this treatment the textblock was sewn anew and put into the old cover which had been made in 1755.