Vesuvius Challenge
Machine learning helps read carbonized Roman papyrus scrolls without physically opening them.
About
The papyrus scrolls from Herculaneum were carbonized by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and are too fragile to be unrolled. The Vesuvius Challenge uses X-ray CT scans, digitally reconstructs the rolled layers, and searches them for traces of carbon ink. Since 2023, this has yielded words and passages; in 2026, for the first time, a preserved portion of a scroll was read virtually from beginning to end. Not every scan contains legible ink, and the results require verification and interpretation by papyrologists.
AI factor
Machine-learning models recognize extremely subtle ink patterns in three-dimensional scans. Geometric software and people reconstruct and unroll the papyrus layer; experts in Ancient Greek read, compare, and confirm the text.
Sources
Inspiration sourced from AI For Good. Not an Arnaldus customer case.