Accelerated Deciphering of Old Roman Scrolls
After almost two centuries of struggle, modern technology has finally offered a ray of hope in deciphering ancient Roman scrolls from the buried town of Herculaneum. Researchers have turned to particle accelerators and advanced computer analysis to unveil the secrets hidden within the carbonized papyri.
A major breakthrough came in 2023 when the Diamond Light Source, a particle accelerator in Oxfordshire, was used to analyze four scrolls from the villa's library. However, success was only achieved with one, nicknamed "Banana Boy," which contained a previously unknown philosophical work. This was followed by the launch of the Vesuvius Challenge, an initiative fostering the development of software tools to expedite the segmentation and ink detection processes.
The scrolls discovered in Herculaneum were carbonized by scorching gases during Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79AD. Despite attempts since the 18th century to unravel them physically, the process inevitably led to their disintegration. Consequently, researchers have been employing a virtual unrolling technique - a two-stage process, pioneered by W. Brent Seales, a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky.
First, the segmentation stage involves tracing the edges of the rolled-up papyrus sheet inside the 3D scan and extracting 2D images of the scroll's surface. Next, the ink detection stage analyzes these images to distinguish the text ink from the background. The latter process poses significant challenges, as the carbon ink used on the Herculaneum scrolls offers little contrast against the carbonized papyrus background.
To aid in the deciphering process, artificial-intelligence techniques have been incorporated, resulting in an improvement in the machines' abilities to discern text. With more data and a more powerful particle accelerator, researchers hope to accelerate their progress in unveiling the contents of these ancient scrolls.
Incidentally, a group of computer-science students shared a $700,000 reward in 2023 for successfully extracting the first passages of text from the 'Banana Boy' scroll. Despite initial high hopes, progress has been slower than anticipated. Nonetheless, possibilities have arisen with the scanning of additional scrolls, such as one kept at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, where individual letters were directly visible in the scans.
Significant advancements in the deciphering process were made recently, as researchers undertook a six-day scanning campaign using the Extremely Brilliant Source (EBS) at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble. This more powerful machine, generating 10 trillion times brighter X-rays compared to medical imaging, could pave the way for monumental revelations in the study of ancient texts.
With more scans and continuous advancements in technology, researchers are hopeful that reading entire scrolls may become a reality in the near future. As they harness the power of particle accelerators and computational methods, the secrets of this lost library may soon come to light, offering new insights into Roman history and culture.
Scientists have implemented advanced computer analysis, including artificial intelligence, to assist in the virtual unrolling and text deciphering process of the carbonized scrolls from Herculaneum, with hopes that future technological advancements might enable the reading of entire scrolls. A significant step towards this goal was taken when the Extremely Brilliant Source (EBS) at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble was used to scan certain scrolls, proving to be ten trillion times brighter than medical imaging and potentially revolutionizing the study of ancient texts.
