11-11-2025, 11:58 PM
@Lisa
It should also be taken into account that cattle were significantly smaller back then than they are today.
‘With a withers height of 100 cm to 135 cm, a body weight of 3 to 4 hundredweight and a milk yield of approx. 3 litres/day, meat and milk production was considerably lower than today.’
As calves were also smaller, there was probably less parchment.
"Preserved St. Gall parchments from the 8th to 10th centuries: these consist of approximately 40% sheep and goat skins and approximately 20% calf skins. Each calf skin yielded one, at most two, double sheets of parchment (bifolia); accordingly, an average herd had to give its life for a single codex.
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It should also be taken into account that cattle were significantly smaller back then than they are today.
‘With a withers height of 100 cm to 135 cm, a body weight of 3 to 4 hundredweight and a milk yield of approx. 3 litres/day, meat and milk production was considerably lower than today.’
As calves were also smaller, there was probably less parchment.
"Preserved St. Gall parchments from the 8th to 10th centuries: these consist of approximately 40% sheep and goat skins and approximately 20% calf skins. Each calf skin yielded one, at most two, double sheets of parchment (bifolia); accordingly, an average herd had to give its life for a single codex.
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Translated with DeepL.com (free version)