Talk:Palimpsest

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Is this different from what is known as papyrus (pl. papyri) or just another name?

---

I don't know of any difference. I was going to create a page called "papyrus", but I happened to find this one first. --Pinkunicorn

---

The following text was erroneously associated with palimpsest:

An early form of paper made from leaves of papyrus, used in book scrolls in ancient civilizations before the codex or book was invented (starting 5000 years ago in Egypt (and probably in other places)).

Several layers of papyrus leaves were laid in different directions and pressed together while wet. The surface that was written on (only one was used) was treated with glue so that the ink wouldn't bleed.

---

Has anyone been talking about wikipedia itself as palimpsest? http://conduit.rit.edu/wikitheory/index.php/Talk:What_is_an_Author%3F

This blog entry names wikis as palimpsests: http://martinlessard.blogspot.com/2005/02/wiki-as-digital-palimpsest.html (names wiki as palimpsest but does not pursue in greater detail(1)

--66.67.215.148 19:23, 20 September 2005 (UTC) --Amitorit 19:31, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

(1) Thanks for the link, it represents my tiny contribution to the topic (fyi, as a matter of fact, as long as I'm concerned, this issue wasn't brought up at wikimania in the first place) --Martin Lessard 25 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Alternate meanings

I came here because of the archaeological/architectural sense of the word, when it is applied to a landscape that has had successive layers of construction applied, so that (in a well-preserved building) what can be seen today is the result of many different generations of construction (a good example is The Tower of London, where you can see structures built from the 11th century to the 20th century.

My main problem is that there seem to be too many (important) alternative meanings. I would suggest that this becomes a disambig page.

What do others think? --Dweller 11:56, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

I agree! There's a definition in astronomy too! Ancient craters that disappear leaving only a "ghost" of a crater are also known as palimpsests. - Serious Cat 21:32, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

But.. all the alternate definitions arise from the original,(describing something by likening it to a palimpsest.) so that should be mentioned in the other definitions. - Serious Cat 21:35, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Hey look, there's a section for it..

"Extended usages The word palimpsest also refers to a plaque which has been turned around and engraved on what was originally the back side.

In planetary astronomy, ancient lunar craters whose relief has disappeared from subsequent volcanic outpourings, leaving only a "ghost" of a rim are also known as palimpsests. Icy surfaces of natural satellites like Callisto and Ganymede preserve hints of their history in these rings, where the crater's relief has been effaced by creep of the icy surface ("viscous relaxation").

In medicine it is used to describe an episode of acute anterograde amnesia without loss of consciousness, brought on by the ingestion of alcohol or other substances: 'alcoholic palimpsest'."

You could add your definition there. - Serious Cat 21:40, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Dead link

During several automated bot runs the following external link was found to be unavailable. Please check if the link is in fact down and fix or remove it in that case!

• http://www.opib.librari.beniculturali.it/english/progetti/rinascimanto_virtuale/rinascimento_storia.html
  • In Palimpsest on Sun Jul 16 21:24:49 2006, Socket Error: (110, 'Connection timed out')
  • In Palimpsest on Mon Jul 17 17:14:13 2006, 404 Impossibile trovare l'oggetto.
  • In Palimpsest on Thu Jul 27 01:04:56 2006, 404 Impossibile trovare l'oggetto.

---

maru (talk) contribs 05:05, 27 July 2006 (UTC)