A Herculaneum scroll has been read for the first time
Researchers have successfully used high-resolution X-rays and machine learning to virtually unwrap and read a carbonized Herculaneum scroll for the first time. The scroll, which was too fragile to open physically, contains a philosophical treatise on ethics.
Why it matters
This breakthrough allows scholars to access ancient texts that were previously considered lost, potentially unlocking thousands of years of historical knowledge.
Read the preprint: Complete virtual unwrapping and reading of a rolled Herculaneum papyrus (PDF) . The data is openly available at scrollprize.org/data , and the code on GitHub .
The article reports on a scientific achievement using neutral, factual language without political or social framing.
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