palimpsest
/ˈpælɪmpsɛst/
noun
- An ancient document or piece of writing material that has been reused after the original text was erased, often leaving traces of the earlier writing.
- Scholars used special lighting to read the hidden text on the medieval palimpsest.
- By studying the palimpsest, researchers discovered a previously unknown version of an ancient poem.
- The library's collection includes a rare palimpsest with layers of writing from different centuries.
- Something that has multiple layers of meaning or history, with earlier layers still visible beneath the surface.
- The landscape is a palimpsest of geological events, each era leaving its mark.
- Her diary became a palimpsest of emotions, with later entries covering earlier ones.
- The old city was a palimpsest of civilizations, with Roman ruins beneath medieval streets.