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, is the ostracon, a broken piece of pottery with writing on it. These ostraka pot-sherds might be used for letters, records of purchases, or even short poems.