A squeeze or squeeze paper is a reverse copy of an
inscription
Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...
, made by applying moist
filter paper and pushing into the indentations by percussive use of a stiff brush. The paper is allowed to dry and then removed. The image is reversed from the inscription, and protrudes from the squeeze paper.
The use of a squeeze allows more information to be gleaned than examining the original inscription, for example curves inside the cuts can identify the scribe who originally carved the inscription.
[Taking Inscriptions Home University of Reading, Ure Museum]
Squeezes can also (and some have been since the 1950s) be made by applying layers of
liquid latex. This method works best on horizontal surfaces.
Modern digitising methods mean that the image can be restored to the original orientation.
Large collections of squeezes are held by the ''
Inscriptiones Graecae'' and other epigraphic collections.
See also
*
Rubbing
**
Brass rubbing
References
External links
Squeeze makingat the Smithsonian Institution
Archived here
Squeeze Making in the Athenian Agora
Epigraphy
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