Up to 60% of medieval texts and 95% of manuscripts have vanished, study finds
by Dario Radley
Many stories from the Middle Ages never reached the present. A new study suggests the loss was far greater than scholars once thought. Researchers estimate that up to 60% of medieval literary works and more than 95% of the manuscripts that once carried them have disappeared over time.
https://archaeologymag.com/2026/07/medieval-texts-and-manuscripts-have-vanished/
Original article: https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/5/7/pgag207/8724046?login=false
Comments (2)
@gutenberg_org Sturgeons rule "90% of everything is rubbish " so no big loss.
@gutenberg_org Honestly, we probably dodged a bunch of medieval-era Harlequin romance novels and Dianetics-style periodicals.