They virtually unroll a complete charred scroll from Herculaneum

In Naples, Italy, an international team of scientists managed to "virtually unroll" a completely carbonized scroll that survived the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. This is the PHerc. 1667, one of the texts recovered in the 18th century from a villa in the ancient city of Herculaneum.

The document, nearly one and a half meters long, was analyzed using computed tomography, which allowed for the creation of a detailed digital image. Then, a virtual unrolling was carried out, and artificial intelligence specifically trained to detect ink on the carbonized material was applied. In this way, 20 columns of text were revealed.

“Today, after years of interdisciplinary work that combined advanced imaging, artificial intelligence, academic research, and an innovation contest, we can finally read them,” said Brent Seales from the University of Kentucky.

Advances in the Vesuvius Challenge

Seales is part of the team that launched The Vesuvius Challenge in 2023, an initiative that invited researchers from around the world to work on the virtual unrolling of these scrolls. The effort paid off with this papyrus that had been damaged in previous attempts at physical opening and was considered unreadable in the 1980s.

Frederica Nicolardi from the University of Naples Federico II explained that the analysis of the handwriting and internal references suggests that the text dates from the 2nd century or late 3rd century B.C. The author is unknown, and the content addresses themes of ethics, arts, and human behavior, possibly influenced by Stoic thought.

This advance marks a turning point in the study of Herculaneum papyri. “It’s no longer just about images or machine learning. Now we need experts to read, edit, and understand what they are saying,” emphasized Seales.

The library of Herculaneum represents one of the most important findings for understanding Greco-Roman culture. The scrolls, preserved by the ashes and heat of the volcano, offer a unique window into ancient knowledge that seemed lost forever.

Impact on Historical Research

Thanks to these non-invasive technologies, fragile physical remains are not damaged while extracting valuable information. The PHerc. 1667 joins other texts that are gradually revealing their content, enriching the landscape of philosophy and literature of Antiquity.

The joint work of specialists in imaging, computer science, and classical philology demonstrates how interdisciplinary collaboration can overcome obstacles that seemed insurmountable for decades. What once required risky physical manipulation is now achieved digitally with millimeter precision.

Researchers continue to analyze the text for its complete editing and translation. This discovery not only rescues forgotten words but also opens new avenues to explore other pieces of the Herculaneum collection still pending study.

The accidental preservation by the eruption of Vesuvius turned Herculaneum into an exceptional archaeological site. Today, modern technology allows these hidden treasures to continue telling their stories more than two thousand years later.