TabulaRasa. Clay, wax, and the impact of erasable writing technologies on manuscript cultures
ProjectTabulaRasa takes the use of clay and wax tablets in the Ancient Near East, the Classical world, and Medieval to Early Modern Europe as
the centerpiece of a comprehensive exploration of the role of rewritability in manuscript cultures. Across diverse societies, the
recycling of written surfaces proves not only desirable but essential in contexts such as education, note-taking, literary creation,
economy and administration. Its profound implications range from palaeographic developments to the acquisition of writing,
memorization and composition practices, and aspects of data storage, information overload and resource recycling that persist to this
day. Throughout history, the challenge of devising techniques for effortless reuse has sparked a wealth of clever solutions. Among
these, clay and wax tablets can be considered paradigmatic: they played a key role in the history of writing from the third millennium
BCE up to modern times, enabling effortless, unlimited rewriting without the need to add or subtract material. TabulaRasa takes them
as a benchmark for an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural exploration of rewritability. It integrates codicology, palaeography and the
study of manuscript cultures into a holistic historical framework, combining study of original artifacts, material analysis and
experimentation. The primary objectives encompass a codicological understanding of clay and wax tablets as material objects,
deciphering the biomechanics of inkless writing on clay and wax and its implications for palaeographic developments in cuneiform
and Latin script, and comprehending the role of erasable media in key historical contexts. Complementing these integrated lines of
inquiry, TabulaRasa will broaden its gaze to include a comparative analysis of re-writing practices, adding historical depth to ongoing
research on e-ink and environmental sustainability, and providing a breakthrough in the understanding of a fundamental aspect of
writing practices past and present.
the centerpiece of a comprehensive exploration of the role of rewritability in manuscript cultures. Across diverse societies, the
recycling of written surfaces proves not only desirable but essential in contexts such as education, note-taking, literary creation,
economy and administration. Its profound implications range from palaeographic developments to the acquisition of writing,
memorization and composition practices, and aspects of data storage, information overload and resource recycling that persist to this
day. Throughout history, the challenge of devising techniques for effortless reuse has sparked a wealth of clever solutions. Among
these, clay and wax tablets can be considered paradigmatic: they played a key role in the history of writing from the third millennium
BCE up to modern times, enabling effortless, unlimited rewriting without the need to add or subtract material. TabulaRasa takes them
as a benchmark for an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural exploration of rewritability. It integrates codicology, palaeography and the
study of manuscript cultures into a holistic historical framework, combining study of original artifacts, material analysis and
experimentation. The primary objectives encompass a codicological understanding of clay and wax tablets as material objects,
deciphering the biomechanics of inkless writing on clay and wax and its implications for palaeographic developments in cuneiform
and Latin script, and comprehending the role of erasable media in key historical contexts. Complementing these integrated lines of
inquiry, TabulaRasa will broaden its gaze to include a comparative analysis of re-writing practices, adding historical depth to ongoing
research on e-ink and environmental sustainability, and providing a breakthrough in the understanding of a fundamental aspect of
writing practices past and present.