Department of Plant Sciences help re-create a 10th Century incense recipe

CPS Council member Professor John Carr from the Plant Virology & Molecular Plant Pathology Group in the Department of Plant Sciences recently helped staff and students at Corpus Christi College to re-create a 10th Century pre-Norman recipe for incense, working from a translation of an ancient manuscript from the collection of the Parker Library at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

The recipe was found by Professor Philippa Hoskin, Director of the Parker Library, who wondered if we could re-create a recipe from the manuscript which is to feature in the Silk Roads exhibition at the British Museum, London from 26 September to 23 February 2025. Images from the student-led project can be viewed here.

Images by Fiona Gilsenan at Corpus Christi College.

Photo: Professor John Carr from the Plant Virology & Molecular Plant Pathology Group in the Department of Plant Sciences with Dr Betty Chung from the Pathology Department and Fellow at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Photo: Professor John Carr and students in the chapel of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge with Dr Betty Chung back left, front right is Robbie Waddell, a PhD student in the MRC Mitochondrial Unit. Next to Dr Chung (middle) is Jennifer Palmer a PhD student in the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Satish Viswanathan (foreground), a PhD student in Plant Sciences.