A edição de Natal do The Economist contém um interessante artigo sobre o que poderia ser chamado de arqueologia paleográfica (trabalho com palimpsestos), encoberto numa reportagem igualmente curiosa em torno dos escribas irlandes e das suas possíveis ligações a Bizâncio e ao Egipto. O artigo vem ainda acompanhado de um pequeno texto sobre recuperação e digitalização de manuscritos antigos. Aconselho a leitura dos dois: provam bem como o estudos de civilizações antigas é uma excitação: a qualquer momento podem aparecer novos textos que revolucionam totalmente o nosso entendimento de um dado assunto. Deixo apenas dois excertos, um de cada um dos artigos, para aguçar a curiosidade.
The ever-growing ability to decipher palimpsests is perhaps the most exciting way in which modern technology is throwing light on the role of the written word during the dark ages. One of the most spectacular feats in this field concerns the so-called Archimedes Palimpsest. American scientists, using technology designed to monitor objects in space, looked underneath a Byzantine liturgical manuscript and found a hitherto unknown text from one of the fathers of mathematics and engineering. In addition to the work by Archimedes, there was material from an orator which throws fresh light on ancient Athenian politics. (aqui).
Other big players in the digitising of manuscripts include the Mormons. They have an interest in old writing which might confirm the teachings revealed to their founder, Joseph Smith. But the finest display of Mormon expertise in recovering texts involved material that is far from religious. Scholars from Brigham Young University (BYU) deciphered carbonised papyrus found at a villa in Herculaneum, which was destroyed by a volcano along with Pompeii. Much of it was philosophical writing from the school of Epicurus, who saw pleasure as life’s main goal; and there was a Roman comedy. (aqui).
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