AI decodes 2000-year-old Roman scroll damaged by volcano

Mount Vesuvius’s eruption preserved a charred Roman scroll that has finally been deciphered after 2000 years through innovative use of AI and advanced X-ray technology.

Historical context: The papyrus scroll is one of 1800 artifacts recovered from a villa in Herculaneum (modern-day Ercolano) during the 1750s, all carbonized by the intense heat of volcanic debris.

• Initially mistaken for firewood by locals, these scrolls were later recognized as valuable historical texts
• Around 200 scrolls have been carefully opened using mechanical clock-based devices
• Three of these scrolls were acquired by Oxford’s Bodleian Library through an unusual trade involving King George III and King Ferdinand IV of Naples, who exchanged them for kangaroos

Technological breakthrough: Advanced imaging techniques at Diamond Light Source, a powerful synchrotron X-ray facility in Oxfordshire, combined with machine learning algorithms, enabled researchers to read the scroll without physically opening it.

• The scroll, designated as PHerc. 172, was transported in a specially designed 3D-printed case
• The analysis was part of the Vesuvius Challenge, which offered a $700,000 prize for successfully interpreting text from the scrolls
• This non-invasive method presents significant advantages over mechanical unrolling techniques

Initial findings: Researchers have uncovered multiple columns of text, with approximately 26 lines per column.

• The Ancient Greek word “διατροπή” (meaning “disgust”) has been identified
• Scholars believe the text may be related to Epicurean philosophy, based on patterns observed in other scrolls from the same location
• The research team continues working to decode the entire document

Preservation challenges: Peter Toth, a curator at the Bodleian Library, notes that while the imaging technology is groundbreaking, transporting delicate artifacts remains a significant concern.

• Only one of the three Oxford scrolls was stable enough to be transported
• Future technological developments may allow for on-site imaging, eliminating transportation risks

Future implications: The successful reading of this scroll represents a significant breakthrough in archaeological technology and historical research, potentially opening the door to decoding hundreds more preserved scrolls from the same period.