Mysterious scrolls linked to Julius Caesar could be read for first time ever

A pair of 2,000-year-old Roman scrolls believed to have belonged to the family of Julius Caesar, and were buried and charred during Vesuvius’ eruption, have been virtually “unwrapped” for the first time ever.

The scrolls, known as the Herculaneum Scrolls, are too fragile to be handled by hand, so researchers needed to use the X-ray beam at Diamond Light Source, as well as a “virtual unwrapping” software to detect the carbon ink on them.

“Texts from the ancient world are rare and precious, and they simply cannot be revealed through any other known process,” University of Kentucky professor Brent Seales, who led the research team, said in a statement. “The scan session at Diamond Light Source promises to be a key moment in our quest for a reliable pathway to reading the invisible library.”

After they were buried by the Vesuvius eruption in 79 A.D., they were discovered in 1752 “in an ancient Roman villa near the Bay of Naples,” the statement added. There were six samples that were scanned at U.K.-based Diamond Light, including four fragments that are used to train the algorithm.

Researchers hope that the algorithm will eventually be able to figure out what is written on the scrolls, which are housed at the Institut de France. …

The wanton destruction of a number of the scrolls is appalling. Regardless, this is a good trio of lectures.

Hear from experts about the challenges of unraveling and reading hundreds of carbonized papyri scrolls buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. Classicists David Blank of the University of California Los Angeles and Richard Janko of the University of Michigan discuss early and current attempts to open the fragile layers and decipher their texts, and computer scientist W. Brent Seales of the University of Kentucky shares how advances in technology and machine learning might allow the still unopened ancient book rolls to be "virtually unwrapped" and read.

This program was presented [October 19, 2019 The Getty Villa, Malibu, California] in conjunction with the exhibition "Buried by Vesuvius: Treasures from the Villa dei Papiri" (June 26 - October 28, 2019) at the Getty Villa.
Reading the Herculaneum Papyri: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow | November 25, 2019 | Getty Museum

Villa of the Papyri keyword:

'Spectacular' ancient public library discovered in Germany [08/01/2018]
Metallic ink used in the Herculaneum scrolls [03/23/2016]
X-ray technique 'reads' burnt Vesuvius scroll [01/20/2015]
Unlocking the scrolls of Herculaneum [12/20/2013]
UK to 'unroll' papyrus scrolls buried by Vesuvius [Kentucky prof has non-invasive scanning technique [05/24/2009]
In search of Western civilisation's lost classics (Herculaneum) [08/19/2008]
In search of Western civilisation's lost classics [08/11/2008]
Scientists use MRI at Kadlec to look at ancient Roman scrolls [07/11/2008]
Rare Ancient Wooden Throne Found in Herculaneum (Buried by Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius) [12/04/2007]
Battle for the books of Herculaneum (1 of finest libraries of the ancient world, covered in Lava) [05/15/2005]
Millionaire to fund dig for lost Roman library [Villa of the Papyri] [02/14/2005]
New hope in hunt for Roman library [02/13/2005]
Focus: The search for the lost library of Rome [02/01/2005]
Focus: The search for the lost library of Rome [01/23/2005]
Herculean task for modern scholars - More on the Discovered Roman Literature being unearthed. [04/05/2002]
Experts urge race against time to unearth last secrets of Herculaneum s lost library [04/03/2002]
Ancient Roman Villa May Hold World's Richest Literary Treasure [04/03/2002]

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