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5mo ago

AI Deciphers Title of Herculaneum Scroll for the First Time

Researchers identify Philodemus's 'On Vices' on an unopened scroll, marking a breakthrough in decoding ancient texts using advanced X-ray and AI technology.

The scroll was digitally unwrapped to reveal writing, which researchers are working to decode.
PHerc. 172 was burned nearly 2,000 years ago, when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.
Title revealed on PHerc. 172 using ink detection model
A scan of the inside of PHerc. 172, which cannot be physically unrolled or it could be damaged.

Overview

  • The charred scroll PHerc. 172, buried in the Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 CE, has been identified as 'On Vices' by the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus.
  • This marks the first time the title and author of an unopened Herculaneum scroll have been successfully decoded, a milestone for non-invasive text recovery.
  • Graduate students Marcel Roth and Micha Nowak, along with researcher Sean Johnson, independently deciphered the scroll's details, winning the Vesuvius Challenge's $60,000 First Title Prize.
  • The breakthrough utilized high-resolution X-ray scans and AI-driven virtual unwrapping to detect faint traces of carbon-based ink on the fragile papyrus.
  • Ongoing efforts include scanning additional scrolls at advanced synchrotron facilities, with researchers aiming to uncover more lost classical texts from the Villa of the Papyri.