- The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 caused the destruction of ancient scrolls in a luxurious villa library in Pompeii.
- The Vesuvius challenge was initiated to decipher ancient texts recovered from the Herculaneum Scrolls.
- The scrolls, still unopened, are currently housed in a museum in Naples, Italy.
- Professor Brent Seals is the sole researcher behind the Vesuvius challenge.
- The breakthrough in deciphering the scrolls was made solely by computer science students in Nebraska and Berlin.
- The text mentions the potential subjects of the deciphered scrolls, including the production of Tyrian purple and descriptions of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark.
- Most of the texts discovered from the Herculaneum Scrolls are in Latin.
- The successful retrieval of words from the scrolls is considered a significant achievement in the exploration of ancient texts.
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TRANSCRIPT
In AD 79, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius caused widespread devastation, including the burning of numerous ancient scrolls within a luxurious villa library in Herculaneum. This catastrophic event initially seemed to have obliterated the texts, but nearly two millennia later, a breakthrough has been achieved. Researchers utilizing artificial intelligence have successfully extracted the first word from one of these charred scrolls, marking a significant milestone in the Vesuvius challenge.
The Vesuvius challenge, initiated by Professor Brent Seals of the University of Kentucky, was launched in March with the aim of accelerating the deciphering of these ancient texts. Supported by Silicon Valley investors, the challenge offered cash rewards to scholars who could retrieve legible words from the carbonized scrolls. Steven Parsons, a staff researcher on the digital restoration project at the University, noted that this represents the first instance of recovering text from one of these rolled-up intact scrolls. Researchers have since identified additional letters within the scroll.
To commence the Vesuvius challenge, Seals and his team shared thousands of 3D X-ray images of two rolled-up scrolls and three fragments of papyrus. They also made available an AI program trained to decipher the letters in the scrolls based on subtle ink-induced alterations in the papyrus's structure. These scrolls, still unopened, belong to a collection held by The Institute D France in Paris and are part of the library recovered from the villa, believed to have been owned by a prominent Roman statesman, potentially Lucius Cerus Piso Cinus, who was Julius Caesar's father-in-law.
Two computer science students, Luke Ferer in Nebraska and Youf Nater in Berlin, independently made breakthroughs in deciphering the scrolls by identifying the same ancient Greek word, meaning purple. Ferer was the first to uncover this word, earning a $40,000 prize, while Nater received one as well. The race is now on to decode the adjacent text. Dr. Feder Nicolardi, a papyrologist at the University of Naples Federico II, reported that three lines of the scroll containing up to 10 letters are now legible, with more expected to follow. A recent section reveals at least four columns of text.
Seals expressed excitement about this discovery and pondered the context of this text. The potential subjects are wide-ranging, from the production of Tyrian purple from shellfish, as explored by Pliny the Elder, to descriptions of Jesus being mocked while dressed in purple robes in the Gospel of Mark. The precise content of this scroll remains unknown, but Seals is optimistic that it will soon be revealed.
The Herculaneum Scrolls hold immense historical significance as the only intact library from antiquity. Most of the texts discovered so far are in ancient Greek, although there may be Latin texts as well. Fragments have shed light on Philodemus's work on vices and opposite virtues, as well as details of Hellenistic dynastic history. There is a strong belief that many non-philosophical texts are yet to be discovered within the library, sparking curiosity about the possibility of finding new works from authors like Sophocles and Sappho, as well as lost books by Livy and historical documents of various kinds.
Professor Robert Fowler, an emeritus professor of Greek at the University of Bristol, expressed enthusiasm about this potential treasure trove for historians, including documentary papyri such as letters and business documents. In conclusion, the successful retrieval of words from the Herculaneum Scrolls represents a monumental achievement akin to setting foot on the moon, as Professor Seals described it. The painstaking work of this dedicated team has unlocked a new frontier in the exploration of ancient texts.
Answers:
False: The scrolls were in Herculaneum, not Pompeii.
True
False: The scrolls are housed in The Institute D France in Paris.
False: Professor Brent Seals initiated the Vesuvius challenge but worked with a team of researchers.
False: The breakthrough was made by students in Nebraska and Berlin.
True
False: Most of the texts discovered are in ancient Greek.
True