08-05-2025
Researchers Decipher Herculaneum Scrolls Found at Pompeii
Researchers have virtually unfurled a Herculaneum scroll which was rescued from Pompeii after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
The Herculaneum scrolls, first discovered within Pompeii's ruins in 1752, have long beguiled scientists. Written on papyrus using carbon-based ink, the scrolls cannot be physically opened without disintegrating. With the advent of digital AI technology, researchers have been given a new opportunity to discover the scrolls' the technology, they were able to decipher the contents and even identify the author of an ancient piece entitled 'On Vices.' The tome, on how to live a virtuous life, was written by Greek Epicurean philosopher Philodemus, who lived in Herculaneum from 110 B.C. until 35 B.C. The discovery of his work within the ruins of Pompeii indicates that Philodemus' work was still highly regarded amongst modern people.
'Finding the full title of a work inside a scroll that has been unread for two millennia is an astonishing achievement,' Richard Ovenden, who works at the library which houses the scrolls, told the Daily Mail. '[It] illustrates the huge potential for AI to transform arts and humanities scholarship, our understanding of the past, and breathes new life into ancient artifacts.'
Although the AI technology allows researchers to virtually unroll the scrolls, reading what was inscribed within them is still a difficult task. The document was eventually unfurled and decoded by two separate research teams: Marcel Roth and Micha Nowak from the University of Würzburg, Germany; and Sean Johnson with Vesuvius Challenge, a program which awards cash prizes to those who are able to decipher the scrolls.
'The simultaneous reproduction of the title image from multiple sources, along with independent scholarly review, provides a high degree of confidence in the reading,' the Bodleian Libraries said.
As it turns out, their hard work paid off. Roth and Nowak took home the very first Vesuvius Challenge Title Prize, which included a reward of $60,000.
