An entire Herculaneum scroll has been read for the first time
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Researchers virtually unwrapped and read PHerc. 1667, a Herculaneum scroll sealed since 79 AD.
The Vesuvius Challenge team used X-ray microtomography at ESRF to scan the scroll, reconstructed the wound papyrus, flattened it digitally, and applied machine learning to detect carbon-based ink. The 1.4-meter surface reveals 22 columns of Greek text, identified as a Stoic ethical treatise referencing Chrysippus and Aristocreon, dating from the 2nd century BC. In a second scroll (PHerc. Paris 4), higher-resolution imaging made ink directly visible in 3D, confirming earlier readings. A third scroll (PHerc. 139) yielded a title: Philodemus, On Gods, Book 8. All data and code are open-access.
What commenters are saying
A team member answered questions, detailing method: segmentation, unwrapping, then ML-based ink detection. They noted no Herculaneum ink is directly visible in X-rays, unlike iron-gall ink. Another commenter warned that findings contradicting established scholarship could face opposition. A third noted the scroll's Stoic content contradicts expectations of mostly Epicurean works, which has historians buzzing. One commenter highlighted that a prize-winning contributor had no formal ML background, illustrating the open-science model.