Scientists reveal secrets of ancient scrolls burned by Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago

Researchers have recovered texts previously lost to history, revealing philosophical takes on ethics, the arts, human behavior and theology.

NAPLES, Italy — Scientists have revealed insights from ancient scrolls buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago, after an AI breakthrough helped uncover some of their secrets.

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The trove of hundreds of scrolls was buried in Herculaneum by the famous eruption in A.D. 79 that also destroyed nearby Pompeii. Uncovering the contents of the fragile carbonized papyrus is a puzzle that has fixated researchers since their rediscovery three centuries ago, but only in recent years has AI-enabled “digital unwrapping” become possible.

Researchers from the University of Kentucky and Naples on Thursday revealed recovered texts from authors previously lost to history, including philosophical takes on ethics, the arts, human behavior and theology.