Medieval History
Tim Stinson isn?t a scientist. But that hasn?t stopped him from working with DNA.
The English literature professor at N.C. State University is hoping to use the nucleic acid to better trace the history of ancient manuscripts. So far, he has tested the DNA on five ancient pages, each made more than 500 years ago on animal skin parchment.
The project started as Stinson was tracking the history of an ancient poem. In medieval times, scribes frequently changed the work they were copying, translating it in to their own dialect, improving the meter or just removing sections they didn?t like. The result is that many modern versions are not exactly as they were originally written. ?There are 85 manuscripts of The Canterbury Tales. None are by Chaucer. None are identical. Which is correct?? says Stinson.
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- Ancient Poem Praises Murderous Roman Emperor Nero
A just-deciphered ancient Greek poem discovered in Egypt, deifies Poppaea Sabina, the wife of the infamous Roman emperor Nero, showing her ascending to the stars. Based on the lettering styles and other factors, scholars think the poem was written...
- Scholar Discovers 16th-century Love Poem Written By An Englishwoman
A previously unknown poem dating from the mid-1500s has been discovered pasted into a rare edition of works by Geoffrey Chaucer. The erotic-love poem seems to have been by a Roman Catholic woman and sent to a Protestant scholar who was the tutor to Edward...
- New Website: Late Medieval English Scribes
Researchers from the universities of York, Oxford and Sheffield have created a new website that aims to identifying the scribes who made the first copies of works by major authors of the 14th and early 15th centuries, including Geoffrey Chaucer and William...
- Modern Medieval
Medieval studies experts want to use technology to make it easier to study the past. Ironically, medieval studies scholars were among the first to use modern technology in their research. Rev. Roberto Busa used punchcards back in 1949 for his research...
- Seminar On Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales Receives Funding
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded a Kent State University faculty member the opportunity to give American school teachers an enriching experience abroad. Kent State English Professor Susanna Fein has won a major federal grant...
Medieval History
In literary pursuit, he follows trails of animal DNA
Tim Stinson isn?t a scientist. But that hasn?t stopped him from working with DNA.
The English literature professor at N.C. State University is hoping to use the nucleic acid to better trace the history of ancient manuscripts. So far, he has tested the DNA on five ancient pages, each made more than 500 years ago on animal skin parchment.
The project started as Stinson was tracking the history of an ancient poem. In medieval times, scribes frequently changed the work they were copying, translating it in to their own dialect, improving the meter or just removing sections they didn?t like. The result is that many modern versions are not exactly as they were originally written. ?There are 85 manuscripts of The Canterbury Tales. None are by Chaucer. None are identical. Which is correct?? says Stinson.
Click here to read this article from the Triangle Business Journal
- Ancient Poem Praises Murderous Roman Emperor Nero
A just-deciphered ancient Greek poem discovered in Egypt, deifies Poppaea Sabina, the wife of the infamous Roman emperor Nero, showing her ascending to the stars. Based on the lettering styles and other factors, scholars think the poem was written...
- Scholar Discovers 16th-century Love Poem Written By An Englishwoman
A previously unknown poem dating from the mid-1500s has been discovered pasted into a rare edition of works by Geoffrey Chaucer. The erotic-love poem seems to have been by a Roman Catholic woman and sent to a Protestant scholar who was the tutor to Edward...
- New Website: Late Medieval English Scribes
Researchers from the universities of York, Oxford and Sheffield have created a new website that aims to identifying the scribes who made the first copies of works by major authors of the 14th and early 15th centuries, including Geoffrey Chaucer and William...
- Modern Medieval
Medieval studies experts want to use technology to make it easier to study the past. Ironically, medieval studies scholars were among the first to use modern technology in their research. Rev. Roberto Busa used punchcards back in 1949 for his research...
- Seminar On Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales Receives Funding
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded a Kent State University faculty member the opportunity to give American school teachers an enriching experience abroad. Kent State English Professor Susanna Fein has won a major federal grant...