Lost Page of Archimedes Palimpsest Found in French Museum

Researchers uncover missing text from ancient Greek mathematician's writings at Musée des Beaux-Arts in Blois.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 7:10pm

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A lost page from the Archimedes Palimpsest, one of the oldest sources for the writings of the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes, has been discovered by researchers at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Blois, France. The page contains geometric diagrams and a passage from Archimedes's treatise on the sphere and the cylinder, which had been hidden beneath a layer of later religious writings.

Why it matters

The Archimedes Palimpsest is an invaluable historical document that provides insight into the work of one of the most influential mathematicians and scientists of the ancient world. The rediscovery of this lost page adds to our understanding of Archimedes's writings and the dramatic history of the Palimpsest itself.

The details

The page was identified by researchers from France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) through a comparison with photographs taken in 1906 by Danish scholar Johan Ludvig Heiberg. The other side of the leaf depicts a 20th-century illustration of the Prophet Daniel taming lions, which was likely added in the 1930s by a Jewish art dealer in Paris in an attempt to increase the value of the manuscript.

  • The Archimedes Palimpsest was created in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) in the mid-10th century.
  • The Palimpsest was smuggled to a monastery in the Judean desert following the sacking of Constantinople by crusaders in 1204.
  • In 1906, Danish scholar Johan Ludvig Heiberg photographed the Palimpsest in the Turkish capital.
  • In 1998, the Palimpsest was sold at Christie's auction house for $2 million to an anonymous buyer.
  • In 2011, the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore showcased its findings on the Palimpsest in the exhibition 'Lost and Found: The Secrets of Archimedes.'

The players

Archimedes

An ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, and inventor who is considered one of the most influential scientists of the ancient world.

National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)

A French government-funded research organization that conducted the research to identify the lost page of the Archimedes Palimpsest.

Musée des Beaux-Arts

A museum in Blois, France, where the lost page of the Archimedes Palimpsest was discovered.

Johan Ludvig Heiberg

A Danish scholar who photographed the Archimedes Palimpsest in 1906 in the Turkish capital.

Walters Art Museum

A museum in Baltimore, Maryland, that currently houses the Archimedes Palimpsest and has funded its research and restoration.

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What they’re saying

“A comparison with Heiberg's photographs, now preserved at the Royal Danish Library, made it possible to confirm without ambiguity that it was leaf number 123.”

— CNRS (CNRS statement)

What’s next

In the coming year, CNRS plans to try and reveal the text hidden underneath the illustration of Daniel using X-ray fluorescence, an analytical technique that can determine the elemental composition of materials. The center has also suggested the discovery may lead to a reexamination of the complete Archimedes Palimpsest 'using more powerful techniques than those employed in the early 2000s'.

The takeaway

The rediscovery of this lost page from the Archimedes Palimpsest is a significant development in the study of one of the most important ancient Greek mathematicians and scientists. It highlights the ongoing efforts to uncover the secrets of this invaluable historical document and the potential for new technologies to shed light on its contents.