An entire Herculaneum scroll has been read for the first time

For the first time in history, researchers have completely read an intact scroll from Herculaneum, the ancient Roman town preserved by Mount Vesuvius's eruption in seventy-nine AD. According to the Scrollprize project, advanced X-ray imaging paired with artificial intelligence has finally unlocked the contents of these carbonized scrolls that have remained sealed and unreadable for nearly two thousand years. The breakthrough represents a watershed moment in digital archaeology, potentially opening access to thousands of other texts still waiting in the volcanic vault.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton