The term is used to refer to any writing material that is altered or recycled to use it more than once. In the ancient ages, writing materials were rare, therefore the writings on manuscripts and other objects or writing surfaces were effaced by washing, scraping, or erasing the original text in order to reuse it. In the early days, palimpsest was used as part of recycling. Palimpsests often reveal the history of an object or a painting as they often include erased marks/visible traces of previous work. A close observation of traditional paintings may reveal different layers and the changes made to the original work.