Nearly 2000 years after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, hundreds of papyrus scrolls were buried under ash. Long considered lost, these carbonized objects can now be read without being unrolled. This technical achievement paves the way for the discovery of a text by the famous Stoic philosopher Chrysippus.
This reading was made possible by the Vesuvius Challenge, an international project combining advanced imaging, artificial intelligence, and innovation contests. Scientists used a synchrotron to X-ray the interior of the scrolls and detect ancient ink. The letters are then studied by papyrologists who translate the text.
From object to text. The sealed and carbonized scroll (top left); cross-sections of the X-ray revealing the spiraled sheet inside (top); and the unrolled surface, where columns of Greek writing appear as the ink signal is recovered (bottom).
Credit: Vesuvius Challenge Two scrolls have been digitally deciphered. The first, PHerc. 1667, yielded about 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) of continuous Greek text across 20 columns. The second, PHerc. 172, revealed more than 70 columns. The first dates from the 2nd or 3rd century BCE, which rules out it being by the Epicurean Philodemus of Gadara, whose writings dominate the library of Herculaneum.
Experts believe the text resembles a Stoic treatise on ethics and human behavior. It mentions Aristocreon, the nephew and student of Chrysippus. Very few writings of Chrysippus have survived; therefore, if the attribution is confirmed, it would be a major addition to the history of early Stoic thought.
Furthermore, researchers have identified a new book title in scroll PHerc. 139. The end of the scroll refers to the eighth book "On the Gods" by Philodemus. This treatise was already known, but this discovery shows it spanned at least eight volumes. Experts plan to re-examine other texts from the collection to find additional volumes of the same series.
More than 600 scrolls from Herculaneum remain to be opened. The villa where they were found may have belonged to Julius Caesar's father-in-law. Thanks to these technologies, many ancient texts could finally be deciphered, offering unprecedented access to ancient thought.