In a revolutionary achievement, published in the PLOS One JournalThe researchers identified the author and the title of an old text which was sealed in a Charbed Rouleau for almost 2,000 years. Thanks to sophisticated automatic learning techniques and high resolution analyzes, researchers have managed to “unpack” virtually scrolling.
The lost rollers of Herculanum
Afterwards Vesuvius eruptionThe city of Herculanum, as well as its library, were buried under a thick layer of volcanic ash and Ponce. The Papyrus villa, where the rolls were discovered, holds a Rare and invaluable collection of manuscriptssome of which are the only surviving works of the classic Roman period. Unfortunately, these rollers were kept in a Fragile and charred conditionThis makes them difficult to open using traditional methods without causing additional damage. For centuries, researchers are eager to decipher the scrolls, but their preservation posed an important challenge.
The role of AI in the decoding of ancient texts
The recent progress of artificial intelligence and imagery technologies have allowed a way to read the scrolls without ever opening them. The breakthrough arrived in 2015 when scientists used X -ray tomography to scan an old parchment of the EN-VEDI SITEsuccessfully creating a 3D virtual model. By relying on this, the team at the University of Kentucky has developed the Volume cartographerA program that uses micro-CT imaging to detect traces of ink on the charred papyrus.
By forming a network of neurons to recognize the subtle models of ink, the researchers were able to “unpack” the scrolls digitally, revealing the weak traces of the old text. In 2019, the first demonstration of this technique gave successful results, paving the way for future applications.
Philodemus and the rediscovery of vices
Recent identification of Pherc. 172 Scroll revealed a work previously unknown to PhilodemusAn epicurean philosopher of the first century BCE. His treaty, entitled On the vices and their opposite virtues and in whom they are and on thisis an exploration of the way of living a virtuous life by avoiding vice.
This work offers an old form of self -assistance, focusing on the moral aspects of human existence – an idea that resonates with modern readers today. Philodemus was an influential figure in the epicurean movement, which underlined the pursuit of happiness by the culture of virtue and the avoidance of excess.
Crowdsourcing The decoding process
The discovery of On vices is part of a wider initiative called the Vesuvius Challenge, which seeks to use crowdsourcing to decode the unprecedented scrolls. Launched in 2023, the challenge invites participants to use AI tools – such as convolutional neurons networks and models of transformers – to identify and reconstruct the text from the rollers.
The challenge is not only to recover lost philosophical texts, many of which are potentially written by Epicurus or its supporters, but also to establish evolutionary systems to digitize and decode ancient manuscripts. In October 2023, the first word, “Purple”, was read from an open parchment, marking an important step in the challenge of Vesuvius. The project continues to offer prices to decipher additional texts, in the hope of recovering more from the lost library of Herculanum.
