Ancient manuscript discovered in the Midlands
Tuesday, 25 July 2006 22:32
The National Museum has announced that an ancient manuscript has been discovered in a bog in the Midlands.
The museum said extensive fragments of what appears to be an ancient Psalter, or Book of Psalms, were uncovered by a bulldozer last Thursday.
The manuscript is believed to have been at the location for up to 1,200 years.
It is understood the pages are those of a slim, large format book with a wraparound vellum or leather cover from which the book block has slipped.
It has been described it as one of the most significant finds in decades.
The Minister for Arts, Sports & Tourism, John O'Donoghue, said the find 'testifies to the high achievements of our early Christian civilisation and to the responsibility of the present generation in the preservation of our unparalleled legacy from the past'.
