AI Unlocks Secrets of 2,000-Year-Old Herculaneum Scroll: A Philosophical Treasure Revealed

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD tragically buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, but in doing so, it also preserved a wealth of artifacts, including a vast library of scrolls. Now, thanks to groundbreaking AI technology and a global collaborative effort, one of those long-lost texts is finally yielding its secrets. Researchers have successfully identified the title and author of a 2,000-year-old scroll, marking a pivotal moment in archaeology and classical studies.

The scroll, known as PHerc. 172, has been identified as "On Vices", a philosophical work by the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus, who lived in Herculaneum more than a century before the eruption. This unprecedented feat was achieved by combining advanced X-ray imaging with computer-assisted simulation, allowing researchers to virtually unroll the fragile document without physically handling it.

Dr. Michael McOsker, a papyrologist from University College London, explained, "It’s the first roll where ink is visible on the scan. Nobody knew what it was. We didn’t even know if there was writing." The excitement surrounding this achievement stems from decades of frustration among scholars who possessed these ancient treasures but lacked the means to access their contents.

This remarkable breakthrough is not a solitary achievement but the result of a global competition called the Vesuvius Challenge. Launched in 2023, the challenge incentivized researchers worldwide to develop methods for reading and deciphering the manuscripts recovered from Vesuvius’s ash. By 2024, a research team shared a $700,000 prize for developing an AI model capable of reading 2,000 Greek letters on another manuscript from the same collection.

The Vesuvius Challenge demonstrates how targeted incentives can drive rapid scientific progress. Similar to how algorithmic approaches have solved seemingly impossible problems in other fields, the Vesuvius Challenge channeled diverse expertise toward a specific archaeological obstacle. The team scanned several of the scrolls and uploaded the data for anyone to use. Participants competed to be the first to reach a series of milestones.

The Herculaneum library, where these scrolls were discovered, represents one of antiquity’s most significant private libraries. The connection to Julius Caesar’s family underscores the prestigious nature of this collection. The ability to finally access these texts provides an unprecedented window into ancient intellectual life. “Everything we get from the Herculaneum library is new to us,” noted Dr. McOsker, highlighting the scholarly significance of these manuscripts.

The discovery of “On Vices” adds to our knowledge of Epicurean philosophy. Philodemus' writings on vices would have provided ethical guidance to Roman elites of the late Republic, making this text valuable for understanding both philosophical development and practical ethics in the ancient world.

The successful decoding of this manuscript opens possibilities for analyzing hundreds more scrolls recovered from Herculaneum. With technology advancing rapidly, scholars anticipate accelerated progress in revealing these long-hidden texts. Each newly deciphered scroll could potentially transform our understanding of classical literature, philosophy, and history.

The techniques developed through the Vesuvius Challenge may find applications beyond these specific artifacts. Similar approaches could potentially help researchers examine other damaged or fragile historical documents worldwide. The ability to detect hidden information in deteriorated materials represents a significant advancement for conservation science broadly.

The unrolling of PHerc. 172 is just the beginning. What other philosophical insights and historical details lie hidden within the remaining Herculaneum scrolls? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!

• AI
• Herculaneum
• Vesuvius Challenge