One of the first words successfully decoded from a carbonized ancient scroll was the Greek word “disgust.”

One of the first words to be translated in the scanned scroll was the ancient Greek διατροπή, meaning “disgust.”
Vesuvius Challenge

The deciphering of the ancient Herculaneum papyri stands as one of the most astonishing achievements of modern science and technology. Scholars have managed to unveil texts that remained unread for nearly 2,000 years.

These scrolls, burned during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, are preserved today at the Bodleian Libraries of Oxford University. Through the Vesuvius Challenge, a team of researchers is accelerating the decryption of these ancient texts using cutting-edge technology.

AI and X-Ray Imaging Unlock Hidden Words

The groundbreaking method involves artificial intelligence and computational imaging techniques that allow scientists to scan and enhance the texts. Thanks to this innovative approach, researchers identified and recognized the word “diatropē” (διατροπή), meaning “disgust” in Ancient Greek. This word appeared twice within a few columns of the PHerc. 172 scroll.

Herculaneum scroll PHerc. 172 is the fifth intact scroll to be virtually unrolled as part of the Vesuvius Challenge.
Vesuvius Challenge

A Collaboration of Minds and Machines

This discovery is the result of collaboration between libraries, computer scientists, and classical scholars, producing unprecedented results. The progress made so far has revealed texts that remained unread for thousands of years, offering new insights into ancient Greek and Roman thought.

A key factor in this breakthrough is the clarity of the ink used in the Oxford scroll. With the help of X-ray scans, scientists detected the chemical composition of the ink more clearly than in other scrolls, significantly improving legibility.

The interior of the scanned scroll. - Vesuvius Challenge

The Hunt for More Ancient Secrets

Despite the promising discoveries, researchers acknowledge that much work remains before the complete restoration and transcription of the texts is achieved. They are hopeful that further studies will uncover new texts that shed light on ancient knowledge and philosophy.

Could these scrolls contain lost works of philosophy, history, or even unknown literary masterpieces? The world eagerly awaits what the next breakthroughs will reveal.