AI Decodes Ancient Roman Scroll Buried Under Mount Vesuvius Ash!
In a thrilling discovery, AI technology has managed to open and decipher an ancient Roman scroll that has been hidden under layers of volcanic ash for nearly 2,000 years! Scholars from the University of Kentucky launched the Vesuvius Challenge, providing X-ray images of charred scrolls and artificial intelligence software to interpret them.
Luke Farritor, a computer science student, and Youssef Nader, a biorobotics grad student, have both claimed the first prizes for their remarkable achievements. Using machine learning models, they were able to identify the word “πορϕυρας” (or “porphyras” in modern Greek), which means “purple.” Purple was a significant color in ancient Rome, symbolizing wealth and status.
Farritor’s AI training focused on crackles and ink strokes present on the scroll. As the AI detected more patterns, the word porphyras emerged. Nader, on the other hand, trained the AI to recognize shapes that resembled letters, which ultimately led to the identification of porphyras and some surrounding letters.
The AI’s ability to detect minute variations in texture within the X-ray images allows it to reveal hidden ink strokes that are invisible to the human eye. With further analysis, researchers hope to uncover more secrets from these scrolls.
The Vesuvius Challenge offers a grand prize of $700,000 to anyone who can read four or more passages from these enigmatic scrolls. Think you have what it takes? You can even try your hand at deciphering the text yourself.
These scrolls were discovered in the 18th century when workers stumbled upon the remains of a luxurious villa buried by Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Believed to have belonged to Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, Julius Caesar’s father-in-law, these scrolls provide a rare glimpse into life and learning during the first century.
The opportunity to read these scrolls without opening them is invaluable. Opening them would likely cause them to crumble to dust. By harnessing the power of AI, we may unlock an incredible wealth of knowledge about the ancient world.
What other fascinating secrets will be revealed by this groundbreaking technology? Share your thoughts and let us know if you’re excited about the future discoveries that await!
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