An investigation within the UWA-DESY cooperationWriting Mechanics and the Evolution of Southeast Asian Scripts

7 April 2025

How does the physical interaction with the writing surface shape the act of writing itself, and how do scripts evolve to optimise the writing process? Malgorzata Grzelec and Laura Gallardo have joined forces to investigate the evolution of scripts that were historically written on palm leaves.

Many Southeast Asian writing systems exhibit distinctly curved character forms. Was there a practical factor that influenced the evolution of character shapes in these manuscript cultures? Malgorzata Grzelec and Laura Gallardo, two researchers involved in joint projects between the CSMC and DESY aimed at characterising plant-based writing materials with synchrotron methods, have joined forces to investigate the evolution of scripts that were historically written on palm leaves.

In particular, they currently investigate two interrelated hypotheses. The first assumes that incising palm leaves with a sharp tool can damage the surface, and that curved etching may help mitigate this effect. The second proposes that incising the leaf in certain directions reduces the physical effort required by the scribe, thereby improving writing efficiency.

To test these hypotheses, the researchers examine multiple aspects of the writing process and the mechanical response of the palm leaf substrate. In collaboration with DESY engineers Henrique Geraissate and Anita Ehnes, the team is developing a device to measure the writing forces exerted during leaf incision. Simultaneously, researchers are analysing the geometry of incised scripts by performing profilometry measurements on palm leaf manuscripts from the CSMC collection, as well as on mock-up samples provided by a contemporary manuscript producer in Indonesia.

These measurements will determine key parameters such as incision depth, curvature, and line orientation. Subsequent project stages will include analysing the structural changes of incised palm leaves using synchrotron SAXS and conducting bending tests to assess damage patterns resulting from different etching techniques.

The project focuses on the phenomenology of writing — how physical interaction with the writing material shapes the act of writing itself and, in turn, how scripts evolve to optimise the writing process. Collaboration with Ni Komang Ari Pebriyani, a Balinese manufacturer of religious palm leaf manuscripts, provides direct insights from a practitioner of traditional writing methods. Combining this expertise with state-of-the-art technology and engineering knowledge at DESY offers a unique opportunity to explore the factors contributing to the evolution of scripts. Once the prototype is ready, the device that measures the writing forces could be adapted to investigate writing processes on other supports, such as paper, parchment, or clay tablets.