Oxford researchers use AI to decode ancient Greek scroll

Latest discoveries; A team of researchers has identified several ancient Greek words including terms for “foolish,” “disgust,” “fear,” and “life” in a newly analyzed Herculaneum scroll housed at Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries.

• The scroll, designated as PHerc. 172, shows evidence of being authored by Epicurean philosopher Philodemus based on its first-century BCE letter forms
• Initial analysis suggests similarities between this scroll’s handwriting and other works attributed to Philodemus
• The text appears to be continuous throughout the entire scroll, promising substantial readable content once fully decoded

Historical context; The scroll comes from the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum, a Roman town preserved by Mount Vesuvius’s eruption in 79 CE.

• The villa belonged to Julius Caesar’s father-in-law, Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus
• The library contained 1,785 papyrus scrolls, potentially holding valuable philosophical and literary works from ancient Greek and Roman scholars
• The scrolls were carbonized by the volcanic eruption, making traditional unrolling impossible

Technical methodology; Researchers are employing a combination of advanced imaging technology and AI algorithms to reveal the scroll’s contents.

• The process begins with X-ray scanning using a synchrotron machine at an Oxford laboratory
• The scan data is used to create detailed three-dimensional reconstructions
• AI algorithms then analyze these reconstructions to identify and interpret text
• This particular scroll presents unique challenges due to its denser ink composition, which complicates computer detection

Progress and potential; Project lead Stephen Parsons expressed optimism about decoding the entire scroll’s contents.

• A previous success in February revealed passages about the senses from another Herculaneum scroll
• The current scroll appears to contain text throughout its length, suggesting a complete work may be recoverable
• Researchers are working to improve text clarity to move from isolated words to substantial passages

Looking ahead: The technological breakthrough; The successful combination of AI and imaging technology to decode these ancient texts represents a significant advancement in archaeological research, potentially opening the door to unlocking countless other historical documents previously thought unreadable. This development could fundamentally transform our understanding of ancient Greek and Roman literature and philosophy.