History of Text Technologies

Recycled surfaces are instances in which the substrate is recycled or repurposed for writing at a later period. One example is the palimpsest or a piece of parchment or other writing material in which the original writing has been removed to make room for later writing. Traces of the earlier form are still visible beneath the new writing. Another example, which can be found in Special Collections, are ostraka, or broken pieces of pottery with writing on them. These pot-sherds might be used for letters, records of purchases, or even short poems.