First Digital Peek into 2,000-Year-Old Herculaneum Scroll

Scientists have successfully utilized X-ray imaging and artificial intelligence to virtually "unroll" a scroll from Herculaneum, offering the first insights into its content in 2,000 years.

In a groundbreaking achievement, researchers have digitally "unwrapped" a charred scroll from Herculaneum, a Roman town ravaged by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The scroll, which appears as a lump of carbonized material, was deemed too fragile for any physical examination; however, advanced X-ray imaging combined with AI technology has enabled a virtual exploration of its inner text.

Stephen Parsons, the project leader for the Vesuvius Challenge—a multinational initiative aimed at recovering texts from the historical scrolls—expressed optimism about the discovery. “We are confident we will be able to read pretty much the whole scroll in its entirety, and it’s the first time we’ve really been able to say that with high confidence,” he shared. Initial findings have already showcased legible letters, suggesting the scroll may encompass philosophical discourse.

Hundreds of carbonized scrolls buried underground in Herculaneum remain largely unreadable, as attempts to physically open them in the past resulted in crumbling. The Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford houses these scrolls, which were previously abandoned due to their delicate condition and unreadable state. Nicole Gilroy, head of book conservation, remarked, “We’ve never been convinced before that any of the techniques would be safe enough or effective enough to get any information from the scrolls.”

Motivated by advancements in technology, the team decided to analyze one of the precious artifacts at the Diamond Light Source facility in Oxfordshire. Inside this powerful synchrotron, electrons are accelerated to nearly the speed of light to produce X-ray beams that reveal the content embedded within the scroll without causing damage. Adrian Mancuso, director of physical sciences at Diamond, explained, “It can see things on the scale of a few thousandths of a millimeter.”

To decipher the scroll, digital reconstruction of the 10 meters of papyrus has to be meticulously performed to differentiate each layer before employing AI to identify the faint traces of ink. This innovative technology enables the researchers to digitally enhance the visibility of the letters, uncovering a trove of text that could substantially increase from mere words to entire passages.

Last year, a team participating in the Vesuvius Challenge managed to read about 5% of a different Herculaneum scroll, believed to discuss Greek Epicurean philosophy—which prioritizes finding satisfaction in everyday experiences. Experts suspect that the latest scroll from the Bodleian Library may share a similar topic, and they are appealing for further investments in human ingenuity and computational technology to unveil more of its secrets.

Nicole Gilroy emphasized the profound connection they are forging with history, stating, “I just love that connection with whoever collected them, whoever wrote them, whoever rolled those scrolls up and put them on the shelves. There’s a real human aspect to it that I just think is really precious.”