All articles tagged with #herculaneum
Researchers have developed a method to decipher carbonized scrolls from Herculaneum without unrolling them by detecting lead in the ink. By creating modern replicas and burning them, the team showed that X-ray scans can distinguish lead-based ink from carbonized papyrus, potentially unlocking thousands of unread ancient texts.
A carbonized papyrus scroll from Herculaneum, PHerc. 1667, has been virtually unwrapped and partially deciphered using AI and CT scans as part of the Vesuvius Challenge. Researchers were able to reveal almost 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) of text across 20 columns, dating to the 2nd–3rd centuries BC and likely containing Stoic ethical discussions. The breakthrough, led by Brent Seales and collaborators, marks the first time such a scroll has been read without destructive physical unrolling, offering new insights into ancient philosophy and the scrolls’ history (including references to Philodemus).
AI-powered “digital unwrapping” is helping researchers recover texts from carbonized scrolls damaged by Mount Vesuvius’ AD 79 eruption, shedding light on ethics, arts, human behavior and theology. About 10% of the scrolls have been read so far; breakthroughs began around 2023 with machine-learning methods, and a new $1 million prize aims to reward deciphering a complete scroll by June next year, as scholars push to unlock more of the ancient world’s ideas.
Using advanced AI and X-ray imaging, researchers have made significant progress in reading charred scrolls from Herculaneum, potentially revealing lost ancient Greek and Latin writings, including philosophical works, without damaging the fragile artifacts.
Researchers are using new technology to virtually unwrap charred Herculaneum scrolls, revealing nearly complete passages from the philosopher Philodemus, while a study suggests Saturn's moon Mimas may have a hidden ocean, potentially changing our understanding of ocean worlds in the solar system. Additionally, Australian scientists are using spiderwebs to track endangered species, a serene image of a polar bear wins the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award, and the treacherous Drake Passage remains a challenge for ship captains ferrying tourists.
Archeologists have used artificial intelligence to decipher some of the ancient text from the Herculaneum papyri, a collection of around 1,000 scrolls carbonized during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. A global competition, the Vesuvius Challenge, offered $1 million in prizes to anyone who could find a way to read the remaining closed scrolls, most of which are preserved in a library in Naples. A team of three students won the $700,000 grand prize after training machine-learning algorithms on scans and were able to read 2,000 letters from the scroll, revealing new text from the ancient world that has never been seen before. This breakthrough has been hailed as revolutionary by experts in the field.
Researchers have used artificial intelligence to extract the first word from an ancient scroll that was burned by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. The scroll, part of a collection held by the Institut de France, was found to contain the ancient Greek word "πορφύραc" meaning "purple". The discovery was made as part of the Vesuvius challenge, which aims to accelerate the reading of the carbonised scrolls. The researchers are now working to read the surrounding text and uncover the contents of the scroll.
A new study has revealed the devastating impact of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 on inhabitants of Herculaneum. Researchers have found evidence that 'pyroclastic currents' hit the small Roman town, vaporising inhabitants within minutes. While most bodies at Herculaneum were swiftly reduced to piles of ash, scientists have previously found human tissue that was transformed to glass by the event. One man's brain had been burned at a very high temperature, before quickly cooling, turning it into a form of glass – a process known as vitrification.
Geologists from the University of Roma Tre have discovered that a pyroclastic current struck Herculaneum shortly after Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD, vaporizing the people living there and explaining why their bodies were not well preserved. The people of Pompeii were buried alive in ash. The geologists collected carbonized wood samples from Herculaneum and found evidence of a very hot gas for a very short period of time, which suggests exposure to a diluted pyroclastic density current. The team suggests their findings should serve as a warning for modern citizens of Naples.
A new study reveals that the initial wave of hot gas from the volcanic eruption that destroyed Pompeii turned people's brains to glass due to the extreme heat of 550°C. The nearby town of Herculaneum was engulfed in a diluted pyroclastic density current (PDC) that brought instant death and destruction. The event left only a few decimeters of ash on the ground, which may explain why it had never been detected until now. The study authors say their findings may have implications for the modern inhabitants of nearby Naples should Vesuvius erupt again.