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AI has helped decode words from a scroll burned in Mount Vesuvius’ A.D. 79 eruption — without unrolling it. This breakthrough, part of the Vesuvius Challenge, brings lost ancient texts closer to discovery.
When Mount Vesuvius erupted, its pyroclastic surges destroyed and preserved the Roman towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii. The blast also carbonized more than 1,000 scrolls, leaving them intact but too fragile to unroll.
The scrolls were discovered in a large villa in Herculaneum in the 1750s, and scholars and scientists have been trying to figure out a way to read the scrolls without destroying them ever since. This week, researchers announced a breakthrough thanks to a combination of modern technologies, including artificial intelligence and X-rays, which allows scientists to decipher the scrolls without unrolling them.
How AI helped decipher one of the scrolls
The scroll PHerc. 172 is one of three currently housed at the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford in England; most of the other scrolls are held at the National Library of Naples in Italy.
PHerc. 172, a charred block of papyrus about the size of a candy bar, was first scanned at the Diamond Light Source Lab using a particle accelerator called a synchrotron. The synchrotron created scans of each papyrus layer, revealing visible ink. Researchers then used AI tools to assemble the images and enhance clarity of the written text.
According to the Oxford press release, the scholars applied a machine learning model focused solely on detecting ink, leaving interpretation to experts in ancient Greek.
“This lack of understanding [words] was, and remains, an advantage, as it ensures no speculative adjustments or interpretations are introduced, preserving the integrity of the original content,” the article said.
So far, scientists have identified a few Greek words, such as “disgust,” but much work remains to translate the entire scroll.
The Vesuvius Challenge
The breakthrough was made possible by the Vesuvius Challenge, launched in 2023 by several tech executives. The initiative offers awards for deciphering the scrolls using machine learning, computer vision, and geometry. Since its inception, the challenge has awarded $1.5 million worth of prizes to researchers, scientists, and scholars.
On Wednesday, the Vesuvius Challenge jointly announced the latest results in partnership with the Bodleian Libraries. The update on the Vesuvius Challenge website called it “incredible progress” while the Oxford press release hailed it a “historic breakthrough.”
The Vesuvius Challenge is calling on more scholars to accelerate the process.