New secrets from ancient Vesuvius scrolls

6 hours ago

Ancient papyrus scrolls from Herculaneum, buried by the Vesuvius eruption in 79 A.D., have been virtually unwrapped using AI and particle accelerator technology, revealing over 70 columns of text.
The Vesuvius Challenge, launched in 2023, led to the discovery of new books from ancient Rome, including an eight-book series by philosopher Philodemus, with only one previously known.
Researchers have deciphered entire scroll arguments instead of fragments, marking a "transformational shift" in accessing texts that were physically preserved but intellectually inaccessible for nearly 2,000 years.
Despite progress with one fully unwrapped scroll and others partially decoded, more than 600 scrolls remain unread, requiring ongoing collaboration from experts in reading, editing, and understanding the ancient language.
The project highlights interdisciplinary work combining advanced imaging, AI, and academic research to hear "voices that have been silent for 2,000 years," with the goal of deciphering the entire ancient library.

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