Early books reveal sleepy readers' fear of illness
Researchers at St Andrews University have learnt about the lifestyle of medieval people through their reading habits by analysing well-thumbed book pages.
The team used a machine called a densitometer to discover the dirt within the pages of manuscripts.
Dr Kathryn Rudy, a lecturer in the School of Art History, realised the most soiled pages were likely to have been the most read. The most-read pages revealed that medieval people feared illness, were self-interested and often fell asleep while reading late at night.
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