Two years ago, researchers published findings concerning DNA samples taken from the Early Medieval York Gospels. Manuscripts from this era are extremely rare: it was written around 990 and lavishly illustrated. By taking a simple eraser, scholars used a technique called “eZooMS,” which allowed them to sample DNA from the pages without damaging them. A wealth of information was uncovered: the type of cattle that were used in the parchment (they were largely similar to the Norwegian Red and Holstein cows similar to north-western European herds today), the gender of the cows (more females, which makes sense if the herds had contracted illnesses that were rife around the turn of the century throughout Britain — normally males would have been preferred since females were used for milk). Scientists also discovered a bacteria called _Saccharoplyspora_, which can cause a spotting on the parchment: steps might be taken now to prevent degradation to the manuscript. DNA studies are increasingly allowing historians to use deductive analysis to understand the past in a whole new way.