An entire Herculaneum scroll has been read for the first time

7 days ago

Researchers virtually unwrapped and read the Herculaneum scroll PHerc. 1667 without physically opening it, using X-ray scanning and machine learning.
The recovered text from PHerc. 1667 is a fragmentary Stoic philosophical treatise on ethics from the 2nd century BC, including mentions of Aristocreon.
Higher-resolution imaging on PHerc. Paris 4 (Scroll 1) made ink visible in 3D X-ray data, confirming prior readings independently.
In PHerc. 139, the title and author (Philodemus, On Gods, Book 8) were identified from a closed scroll, aiding scholarly study.
The method involves phase-contrast X-ray microtomography, surface reconstruction, and open data/code, enabling scalable application to other scrolls.
The Vesuvius Challenge fostered open, global collaboration, with contestants becoming research team members to achieve this breakthrough.
Hundreds more sealed Herculaneum scrolls await reading, with the technique designed to scale and all resources publicly available.

Hasty Briefsbeta