Writing underneathSourced
Not region-specific · English meaning
An old text can survive beneath a newer one
A palimpsest is a manuscript page whose earlier writing was removed so the material could be reused. Expensive parchment made that practical. Traces of the old writing sometimes survive beneath the newer text, leaving two histories on one surface.
A page can contain a book below its visible book.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Palimpsest · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-05