Ancient scrolls from Mount Vesuvius eruption finally deciphered!
In a thrilling breakthrough, the first word from one of the 2,000-year-old Herculaneum scrolls has been decoded using cutting-edge AI technology. The scrolls, which survived the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, were previously considered illegible, but a team of researchers launched the “Vesuvius Challenge” to unravel their secrets.
The word that was deciphered is “πορφυρας” or “porphyras,” the Greek word for purple. This remarkable discovery was made by a University of Nebraska computer science student, Luke Farritor, who participated in the competition.
The process of unlocking the scrolls involves virtual unwrapping using computer tomography scans and advanced AI. Developed by University of Kentucky computer science professor Brent Seales, this technology has been in the works for almost two decades.
The Herculaneum scrolls were recovered from a building believed to be Julius Caesar’s father-in-law’s house and form the only known large-scale library from classical antiquity. However, due to their fragility, many scrolls were pulled apart in the 19th century, leaving the papyri in pieces.
The recent deciphering of a word is a promising step toward eventually reading complete rolls. Michael McOsker, a papyrology researcher, expressed excitement about the recent discovery and the future possibilities of studying these texts.
Although Farritor and another participant, Youssef Nader, both found the same word and won the “First Letters Prize” of $50,000, the ultimate grand prize of $700,000 for reading four continuous passages is still up for grabs.
Brent Seales is hopeful that a partially read scroll will be achieved by the end of this year, with the possibility of a fully deciphered scroll by 2024. The scrolls hold a wealth of information about the lives of ancient Romans and offer a tantalizing connection to our past.
The question remains: What other secrets will be revealed as these ancient scrolls are decoded? Leave your thoughts and comments below!
IntelliPrompt curated this article: Read the full story at the original source by clicking here