And now for something completely different: the Text Object Research Network at the Radboud Institute for Culture and History had its first date with a manuscript of the academic year. I found myself reading a 17th c. letter by famous Dutch historian/poet/playwright P.C. Hooft. Not my usual fare!

That said, should you want to know the not-so-secret early medieval recipes for garum and learn a bit more about what early medieval manuscripts can tell us about the uses and abuses of this fermented fish sauce in the post-Roman world: stop by my paper at Leeds on Tuesday July 8 at 11.15.

And here are the conclusions:

That's not what the article is about, however. Here's the authors' own research statement:

I hit upon it because @merleeisenberg.bsky.social messaged me the rather clickbaity press-release on Gizmodo for the piece. gizmodo.com/ancient-dna-.... Most public-science outlets that picked up on this article seems to frame it in similar terms: "aDNA unlocks the recipe of Roman fish sauce".

Before Ricky replied I ordered the book from the Radboud University Library yesterday and just shot you these pictures of #55, 86, (87,) and 88! Don’t let me stop you from going to the Library, tho!

Could not resist (despite mildly butchering the meter).

The 9th-century Vision of the Poor Woman of Laon depicts Bego of Paris having molten gold poured down his throat by a devil saying: "Now drink to fullness of that which you thirsted for and could not get enough of in life." With a picture of what happened to the corrupt from the Utrecht Psalter.

Hoewel minister Bruins zich inderdaad voordoet alsof hij enkel bevelen opvolgt, lijkt er toch wel enige ideologische agenda te schuilen achter zijn keuzes en bereidheid om deze rampzalige bezuinigingen glimlachend door te voeren.