AI helps read 2,000-year-old papyrus scroll PHerc 1667 as scientists fully unwrap it

AI Summary

Scientists used AI to fully unwrap and read a 2,000-year-old Herculaneum papyrus scroll PHerc 1667, revealing lost ancient Greek philosophical texts. The scroll, charred by Mount Vesuvius, contained Stoic treatises possibly by Chrysippus and also confirmed other works by Philodemus.

Scientists have fully unwrapped Herculaneum scroll PHerc. 1667 using AI, reading 1.5 metres of ancient Greek text without touching it. Once deemed unreadable, the 2,000-year-old scroll—charred by Mount Vesuvius—reveals a lost Stoic treatise on ethics, possibly by Chrysippus. A second scroll confirms Philodemus' "On Gods" ran to eight books. The Vesuvius Challenge now offers a $1 million prize to decode another scroll.