„Schreiben auf Wachs im Alten Rom“. Interdisziplinäre Rekonstruktion der Herstellung und Verwendung römischer Wachstafeln. A research project by Michele Cammarosano & Robert Fuchs, funded by the Gerda Henkel Stiftung (AZ 54/V/19, 2019–2020)
Wax tablets were used for over three millennia across various cultures and scripts, making them one of the most enduring writing mediums in human history. Their success lies in a writing technique that does not require ink and allows for text to be easily erased, altered, and rewritten over time. Signs are inscribed or impressed into a beeswax-based layer using a stylus, and can be erased and re-inscribed ad lib.
Archaeological finds and written sources reveal a variety of additives used with beeswax to form the writing layer, or ‘wax paste’. The criteria for selecting these additives, their connection to other crafts like wax seal production, and the reconstruction of writing techniques are largely unexplored. The wax paste typically contains mineral pigments and other substances to optimize its mechanical and optical properties. The inscribed surface can be smoothed and rewritten with a spatula or globular tip.
The significance of this medium in antiquity, particularly in ancient Rome, is well documented. In recent times, discoveries of large collections of wax tablets in Murecine near Pompeii (1959), Vindolanda (since 1973), and London (2010-2013) have advanced the study of these writing materials. Despite increased interest in the material aspects of writing, significant research gaps remain in the investigation of writing techniques on wax tablets.
For Roman wax tablets (tabulae ceratae, cerae), the composition of the wax pastes and the methods of inscription (graphium writing) are particularly important issues. Progress in understanding these techniques requires an interdisciplinary approach combining literary sources and archaeological finds. The only systematic study on this topic is by Reinhard Büll (1977), but there are conflicting assumptions in secondary literature. The hypothesis by Selim Augusti (1962) that shellac was used instead of beeswax in the Tabulae Sulpiciorum from Murecine is particularly problematic, as it contradicts known Roman writing practices and shellac was likely unknown in ancient Rome.
The wax tablet collections from the Vesuvian sites housed in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli and in the Parco Archeologico di Pompei are crucial for studying wax-based writing techniques. In particular, the unique state of preservation of the Tabulae Sulpiciorum has kept the wax layer intact over two millennia, allowing for the chemical analysis of wax pastes and closer exploration of writing techniques.
This project aims to conduct a pilot study of writing techniques applied to Roman wax tablets, by investigating a representative sample of wax tablets and styli from the Vesuvian sites at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli and in the Parco Archeologico di Pompei. The project integrates philological, palaeographical, archaeological evidence with material analysis for clarifying selected questions and identifying avenues for future research on this major writing technology.
Preliminary results are presented in “Römische Wachstafeln aus Pompeji. Geschichte – Herstellung – Analysen”, Metalla Sonderheft 12 (2023), 45–47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46586/metalla.v.2023.i12 (co-authored by Michele Cammarosano, Robert Fuchs & Ester S. B. Ferreira); a final publication of the project's result is in preparation.
In the media: Welt am Sonntag 23.3.2023, Süddeutsche Zeitung 22.6.2023, Bayerischer Rundfunk 7.7.2023
On the CICS webpage: https://www.th-koeln.de/en/cultural-sciences/cics---writing-on-wax-in-ancient-rome_99672.php