Scientists Decipher 4.6-Foot Herculaneum Scroll PHerc. 1667 in First Non-Invasive Read
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jun 26
Scientists Decipher 4.6-Foot Herculaneum Scroll PHerc. 1667 in First Non-Invasive Read
3 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Jun 26
Summary
PHerc. 1667 — a 4.6-foot carbonized papyrus with 22 columns of Greek — was virtually unwrapped and deciphered without being opened, marking a Vesuvius Challenge milestone.
High-resolution X-rays from the European Synchrotron, geometric reconstruction and machine-learning ink enhancement turned the sealed scroll into a readable surface, with papyrologists doing the final transcription.
The text appears to be a Stoic ethical treatise, citing Aristocreon and discussing human nature, impulse and moral progress, according to the team's open-access preprint.
The result builds on methods first demonstrated in 2015 and the 2023 launch of the Vesuvius Challenge, which aims to recover texts from Herculaneum scrolls buried by Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago.
Beyond Herculaneum, what other 'unreadable' artifacts from lost civilizations could this AI technology finally unlock?
AI has resurrected a lost Roman library. What forgotten wisdom for our modern world lies hidden inside?
20 Columns from the Ashes: AI and Teamwork Revive the Herculaneum Scrolls (2026)
Overview
In June 2026, researchers achieved a major breakthrough by virtually unwrapping and deciphering 20 columns of text from the Herculaneum papyrus scroll PHerc 1667. This success, announced at a conference in Naples, marks a pivotal moment in recovering ancient knowledge. The Herculaneum library, buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, holds thousands of fragile, carbonized scrolls that resemble charred logs. Because any physical attempt to open them would destroy their contents, this digital achievement offers a rare glimpse into texts long thought lost forever, opening new possibilities for understanding the ancient world.