Erasing and Rewriting in Manuscript Cultures: Practices of Text Obliteration and Manuscript Reuse in a Global Perspective

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Erasing and Rewriting in Manuscript Cultures

Practices of Text Obliteration and Manuscript Reuse in a Global Perspective

Edited by: Michele Cammarosano

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2026

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This book is in the series

Volume 48 | Studies in Manuscript Cultures

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Open Access

Across the most diverse societies, the reuse of writing surfaces in contexts such as learning to write, note-taking, literary creation, and bookkeeping has been not only desirable but essential to optimising resources. In these contexts, it has been typical to use erasable media of various kinds – a practice which in turn has had important implications for palaeography, literary creation, and virtually every aspect related to writing. Manuscript cultures addressed the quest for rewritability through using permanently recyclable materials such as clay and wax tablets, special technologies such as erasable coatings, and ingenious strategies for reusing papyrus, parchment, paper, wood, and more. This volume systematically explores the fascinating intersection between the potential ephemerality of the written word and the reusability of its supports. It combines a theoretical framework on ‘rewritability’ with case studies on materials, related technologies and their interplay with competing techniques, spanning from ancient Mesopotamia to present-day Nigeria, from Egypt to Japan, from Greece and Rome to the Arab world. In doing so, the volume illuminates a crucial aspect of cultural history relevant to anyone studying the written word.

Author / Editor information

Michele Cammarosano, University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’, Naples, Italy.

Topics

Frontmatter Open Access Download PDF	I
Contents Open Access Download PDF	V
A Framework for the Analysis of Rewriting Practices, and Three Case Studies: Clay Tablets, Wax Tablets, and Erasable Coatings Michele Cammarosano Open Access Download PDF	1
The Future of the Past: Rewriting as a Cultural Practice from Handwritten Artefacts to the Digital Age Marilena Maniaci Open Access Download PDF	63
Clay and Wax
A Restorer’s Look at Rewritable Media: Cuneiform Clay Tablets in Conservation Carmen Gütschow Open Access Download PDF	75
Temporality on Clay Tablets: When the Component Parts of a Cuneiform Document Were Committed to Clay Jon Taylor Open Access Download PDF	115
Erasing Signs and Lines on Old Assyrian Cuneiform Clay Tablets Cécile Michel Open Access Download PDF	161
Ashurbanipal and Objects for Esagil and Ešarra: A Case Study of Erasing, Removing, and Replacing Texts at the Height of the Assyrian Empire Jamie Novotny Open Access Download PDF	191
Refill, Reuse, Recycle? Reusing Wax Tablets in the Roman North-western Provinces Anna Willi Open Access Download PDF	217
Some Remarks on the Lexicon of Erasure between Antiquity and Middle Ages Serena Ammirati Open Access Download PDF	255
From Wax Tablets to Codices: The Possible Influence of the Stylus Holder on the Structure of Early Multi-gathering Codices Georgios Boudalis Open Access Download PDF	263
Wax Tablets as Writing Media during the Middle Ages Thomas Wozniak Open Access Download PDF	309
Papyrus, Parchment, Paper, and Wood
Reasons for Papyrus Reuse in Ancient Egypt Elena L. Hertel Open Access Download PDF	335
Coptic Palimpsests: When, Where, and Why? Paola Buzi Open Access Download PDF	357
How to Erase Writing According to Recipes from the Arab World: Textual Analysis of Premodern Technical Recipes Sara Fani Open Access Download PDF	373
How to Erase Writing According to Recipes from the Arab World: Replication and Analytical Report Claudia Colini, Giuseppe Marotta, Sowmeya Sathiyamani, Valentina Yañez Langner, Annie Muller, Katerina Grigoriadou and Chen Yu Open Access Download PDF	411
Transient Texts: Erasable Writing on Wood, Sand, and Metal in Northern Nigerian Islam Andrea Brigaglia and Dahir Lawan Mu’az Open Access Download PDF	439
Writing and Rewriting Wooden Tablets in Seventh- and Eighth-Century Japan: The Mokkan Used for Learning Antonio Manieri Open Access Download PDF	475
Contributors Open Access Download PDF	503
Index of Written Artefacts Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

September 22, 2025

eBook ISBN:

9783111682983

Hardcover published on:

September 22, 2025

Hardcover ISBN:

9783111682730

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Main content:

527

Illustrations:

32

Coloured Illustrations:

125

Tables:

12

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111682983

eBook ISBN: 9783111682983

Hardcover ISBN: 9783111682730

Keywords for this book

writing technologies; erasure techniques; recycling manuscripts; palimpsests

Audience(s) for this book

Scholars of literary, Islamic, classical, medieval, manuscript studies, Egyptology, history, codicology

Creative Commons

BY-NC-ND 4.0

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Erasing and Rewriting in Manuscript Cultures

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Topics

Table of contents

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