AI Translates 2,000-Year-Old Herculaneum Scrolls with Historic Breakthrough

On Friday, researchers announced a significant advancement in using AI to translate ancient texts from the carbonized scrolls of Herculaneum. The Vesuvius Challenge, launched by the University of Kentucky in 2023, aims to unveil the texts of these fragile artifacts preserved since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.

Breakthrough in Deciphering Ancient Texts

The recent achievement at the Biblioteca Nazionale di Napoli includes virtually 'unwrapping' scroll PHerc. 1667, revealing 20 columns of text. Additionally, researchers recovered 70 columns from scroll PHerc. 172 at Oxford’s Bodleian Library, identifying works by the philosopher Philodemus.

Brent Seales, cofounder of the Vesuvius Challenge, highlighted the use of advanced technology, including a particle accelerator and a synchrontron, to create high-resolution scans of the scrolls. These scans represent the largest dataset ever produced by the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, reaching up to 300 terabytes per scroll.

Transformative Impact on Papyrology

Federica Nicolardi, a papyrology professor at the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, noted that scroll PHerc. 1667 had been previously opened and damaged, with a readability score of zero. She stated, “But now, with virtual unwrapping, we can follow sustained arguments across multiple columns. That’s a transformational shift.”

This project has been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of what is possible in ancient text analysis, with hundreds of thousands of dollars awarded in prize money to facilitate progress.

• Vesuvius Challenge launched in 2023
• High-resolution scans of scrolls
• Identification of new works by Philodemus
• Significant funding for research