RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Archimedes Palimpsest is a 10th-century Greek manuscript that preserves several works by the ancient mathematician Archimedes. The manuscript was reused as a Christian prayer book in the 13th century, with the original text scraped away and overwritten with liturgical texts.

As quoted by RFI.fr, a long-lost page from the Archimedes Palimpsest has been rediscovered at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Blois, France. The page, identified as folio 123, contains a passage from Archimedes' treatise "On the Sphere and the Cylinder", specifically propositions 39-41 of Book I.

Previously in 1906, Danish historian Johan Ludvig Heiberg discovered the Archimedes Palimpsest and photographed its pages. Unfortunately, three pages went missing during World War I and were presumed lost.

The discovery was made by Victor Gysembergh, a researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), who recognized the page's significance while examining the museum's collection. The page had been missing since the early 20th century, and its rediscovery is a major breakthrough for scholars studying Archimedes' work.

The rediscovered page is particularly significant because it contains geometric diagrams and text that are mostly readable, despite being partially covered by a medieval prayer text. The other side of the page features a 20th-century illustration of the biblical prophet Daniel and two lions, added by a former owner to increase the manuscript's value.

Gysembergh plans to conduct further imaging campaigns using multispectral and X-ray fluorescence analysis to reveal the text hidden beneath the illustration. He hopes that this breakthrough will help find the other two missing pages of the palimpsest.

The Archimedes Palimpsest is considered one of the most important surviving manuscripts of antiquity, containing seven treatises by Archimedes, including two previously lost works, "The Method" and "Stomachion". The rediscovery of the missing page is a significant development in the study of Archimedes' work and the history of mathematics.

The discovery also highlights the importance of preserving and studying ancient manuscripts, as they hold valuable insights into the intellectual achievements of past civilizations. The Archimedes Palimpsest is a testament to the enduring power of human curiosity and the importance of preserving our cultural heritage.

Researchers are optimistic that the rediscovered page will shed new light on Archimedes' ground-breaking work and inspire further study of the manuscript