In brief
An ancient scroll from the town of Herculaneum, buried by Mount Vesuvius, has been virtually unwrapped, revealing snippets of text for the first time in millennia.
The long-lost secrets of a burnt scroll have been brought to light thanks to modern technology, giving us a peek into history. Discovered in Herculaneum, a town devastated by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, this scorched scroll has remained as an unrecognizable lump of charcoal for centuries. However, with scientific advancements using X-ray imaging and artificial intelligence, researchers have achieved the extraordinary feat of digitally unwrapping it.Project lead Stephen Parsons from the Vesuvius Challenge announced that they’ve successfully revealed visible Greek letters, hinting that the content may pertain to philosophy. As hundreds of similar scrolls lay dormant at the Bodleian Library, their fragile structure prevented previous attempts to read them, leading most to be left unopened.Utilizing a facility called Diamond Light Source, researchers used a synchrotron to scan the scroll without causing damage. The powerful X-ray beam can identify minute details within the scroll’s layers, allowing scientists to separately and digitally unroll them. The challenge? Differentiating between the carbon-based ink and the scroll material, a task where AI plays a crucial role by detecting faint signals of ink.As researchers progress, the hope is to transcend mere words into larger passages of text. A previous success indicated the scroll dealt with Greek Epicurean philosophy, which celebrates everyday pleasures, and there's optimism this new scroll could share similar themes.Nicole Gilroy, head of book conservation, cherishes the connections being made to ancient pasts, emphasizing the human stories behind these scrolls and their creators. As the project moves forward, the melding of human creativity and technology promises to unravel even more of our ancient history.
