> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://datadeep.tech/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How the Vesuvius Challenge Scans Ancient Scrolls Using X-ray Phase-Contrast Microtomography - URL: https://datadeep.tech/vesuvius-challenge-microtomography/ - Published: 2026-07-22T17:14:11.000Z - Updated: 2026-07-22T17:14:11.000Z - Description: Scientists fully read a sealed Herculaneum scroll using micro-CT and AI, revealing Stoic philosophy from antiquity. - Author: Liam L - Tags: News, Computing, Philosophy ***Historic Breakthrough in Particle Accelerators and AI Give Voice to Silent Herculaneum Scrolls After 2,000 Years*** ## 1\. Summary On 25 June 2026, the Vesuvius Challenge announced a historic breakthrough in the recovery of the Herculaneum papyrus scrolls, achieving the first complete virtual unwrapping and reading of a sealed scroll from the only surviving large-scale library of classical antiquity \[2\]\[3\]\[7\]. The breakthrough was enabled by high-resolution X-ray phase-contrast microtomography (micro-CT) conducted at the **European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)** in France and Diamond Light Source in the United Kingdom, combined with machine learning algorithms for ink detection and the Volume Cartographer software pipeline for virtual unwrapping \[7\]\[10\]\[11\]\[14\]. The principal findings include the full recovery of nearly 1.5 metres of continuous text across approximately 20 columns from PHerc. 1667, a scroll previously deemed unreadable after failed physical opening attempts in the 1980s \[7\]\[12\]. Analysis suggests this scroll dates to the second century BC or possibly the late third century BC, making it one of the oldest in the collection. The text appears to be a philosophical treatise focused on ethics and human behavior, likely representing Stoic thought and potentially linked to the philosopher Chrysippus \[4\]\[5\]. A second major finding is the identification of a new book title within PHerc. 139: *Philodemus, On Gods, Book 8*, establishing for the first time that this work extended to at least eight books \[7\]\[9\]. Additionally, more than 70 columns of text were recovered from PHerc. 172, housed at Oxford's Bodleian Library, confirming it as a copy of *On Vices* by the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus \[2\]\[7\]. The breakthrough moves virtual unwrapping beyond isolated demonstrations towards a scalable framework for systematic recovery of the still-unopened library. Approximately 400 to 600 scrolls remain unopened, with large portions of the Villa of the Papyri yet to be excavated \[8\]\[14\]. --- ## 2\. Contextual and Scientific Background ### 2.1 Historical Context In AD 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted catastrophically, burying the Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum under volcanic ash and debris \[8\]\[10\]. At Herculaneum, the Villa of the Papyri, a grand estate possibly owned by Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, father-in-law of Julius Caesar, was entombed under approximately 20 meters of hot mud and ash. The library contained hundreds of papyrus scrolls. The heat of the volcanic debris carbonized the scrolls, preserving them in a fragile, brittle state \[7\]\[8\]. The Villa of the Papyri was discovered in 1750 by a farmer digging a well, and subsequent excavations unearthed hundreds of scrolls \[8\]. The collection is the only known library to survive from Greco-Roman antiquity \[10\]\[14\]. Early attempts to open the scrolls (including methods such as injecting mercury, painting them with ether or papyrus sap) destroyed many of them. A few were painstakingly unrolled by a monk over several decades, revealing Greek-language philosophical texts, predominantly by Philodemus of Gadara, a first-century BC Epicurean philosopher \[8\]\[13\]. More than 600 scrolls remained unopened and unreadable. ### 2.2 The Scientific Problem The fundamental challenge in reading the Herculaneum scrolls is that both the papyrus substrate and the ink are carbon-based \[1\]\[13\]. In conventional x-ray radiography and tomography, ink detection relies on density or composition driven contrast, but carbon ink on carbonized papyrus provides little attenuation contrast. The physical fragility of the scrolls precludes mechanical unrolling, as even the slightest touch can turn them to dust \[8\]\[11\]. ### 2.3 The Innovation Building on two decades of work by Brent Seales and the EduceLab at the University of Kentucky on virtual unwrapping, the Vesuvius Challenge combined two key technological innovations \[8\]\[10\]\[11\]\[13\]. **First**, high-resolution phase-contrast X-ray microtomography using synchrotron radiation facilities \[3\]\[14\]. Phase-contrast imaging exploits the phase shifts of X-rays passing through the sample, providing contrast for carbon-based materials that is not available through conventional attenuation-based imaging \[11\]\[14\]. The ESRF's BM18 beamline and Diamond Light Source's I12 beamline provided scans at resolutions down to 2 micrometers \[2\]\[3\]\[7\]. Some scans produced datasets as large as 300 terabytes per scroll, the largest datasets ever produced by ESRF \[3\]\[7\]. **Second**, machine learning models for ink detection \[1\]\[9\]\[13\]. Researchers trained deep-learning models on three-dimensional optical profilometry data from mechanically opened Herculaneum papyrus fragments to distinguish inked from uninked areas \[1\]\[7\]\[13\]. The models learn to detect the subtle morphological signals (surface topography) that distinguish ink from papyrus, even when the ink is carbon-based \[1\]\[11\]. The Volume Cartographer software, developed by Seales, segments the 3D tomographic volume into layers and flattens them into 2D images for reading \[7\]\[10\]. The 2026 breakthrough achieved two significant advances. In PHerc. Paris 4, the optimised scan protocol made ink directly visible in the tomographic volume, allowing three-dimensional ink segmentation and independent validation of surface-conditioned ink recovery \[7\]\[14\]. In PHerc. 1667, the complete virtual unwrapping and reading of a rolled scroll was achieved for the first time, meeting explicit coverage and papyrological-review criteria \[7\]\[12\]. --- ## 3\. Key Players and Stakeholders ### 3.1 The Vesuvius Challenge The Vesuvius Challenge is a non-profit, donation-funded organization founded in March 2023 \[8\]\[9\]\[10\]. Its co-founders include Nat Friedman (former CEO of GitHub), Brent Seales (University of Kentucky), and entrepreneur Daniel Gross \[8\]\[11\]. The Challenge operates as a machine learning, computer vision, and geometry competition, offering prize money to incentivise progress in reading the carbonised scrolls \[8\]\[9\]. To date, the Challenge has awarded USD 1.8 million in prizes \[7\]\[8\]. A further USD 1 million grand prize has been offered for the first team to fully read another scroll \[8\]\[9\]. ### 3.2 The University of Kentucky EduceLab Brent Seales and the EduceLab at the University of Kentucky have been developing virtual unwrapping techniques for two decades \[10\]\[11\]\[13\]. Their earlier success included the virtual unwrapping of the En-Gedi scroll from the Dead Sea region, which contained text from the book of Leviticus \[13\]. The EduceLab's work on the Herculaneum scrolls, including the development of Volume Cartographer, laid the groundwork for the Vesuvius Challenge \[7\]\[10\]. The [Mellon Foundation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew%5FW.%5FMellon%5FFoundation?ref=datadeep.tech) sponsored earlier EduceLab work \[13\]. ### 3.3 Synchrotron Facilities The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, and Diamond Light Source in Didcot, United Kingdom, provided the beamlines for high-resolution micro-CT scanning \[2\]\[3\]\[11\]\[14\]. The ESRF's BM18 beamline and Diamond's I12 beamline are high-energy beamlines designed for imaging \[2\]\[3\]. These facilities represent major European research infrastructures and are critical enablers of the breakthrough \[14\]\[15\]. ### 3.4 The Papyrological Team The papyrological analysis is led by Federica Nicolardi, assistant professor in papyrology at the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II \[7\]\[9\]\[12\]. The team includes Giorgio Angelotti (Vesuvius Challenge), Paul Henderson (University of Glasgow), and other collaborators \[1\]\[7\]. ### 3.5 Institutional Stakeholders The National Library of Naples "Vittorio Emanuele III" houses the bulk of the Herculaneum scroll collection \[8\]\[11\]\[13\]. The Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, houses PHerc. 172, which was scanned at Diamond Light Source \[2\]\[11\]. The Herculaneum Archaeological Park manages the site and is a key stakeholder in tourism and cultural heritage \[8\]\[16\]. ### 3.6 The Online Community A global community of volunteers and AI developers has contributed to the software development, including writing AI code to digitally unwrap scrolls and detect ink \[8\]\[9\]. The Vesuvius Challenge has released scans, data, code and models to the public, fostering open collaboration \[7\]\[8\]. --- ## 4\. Technical and Operational Considerations ### 4.1 The Technical Pipeline The technical pipeline for reading a Herculaneum scroll comprises four main stages \[7\]\[10\]. *Stage 1: Synchrotron Scanning.* The scroll is scanned using phase-contrast X-ray microtomography at synchrotron facilities \[2\]\[3\]\[14\]. The scans achieve resolutions down to 2 micrometers \[7\]\[11\]. The dataset size is substantial: some scans produced 300 terabytes per scroll \[3\]\[7\]. *Stage 2: Virtual Unwrapping.* The Volume Cartographer software segments the 3D tomographic volume into layers, tracing the writing surface, meshing it, and flattening it into 2D images \[7\]\[10\]. This process is semi-automated; fully automating it remains an open problem \[7\]\[8\]. *Stage 3: Ink Detection.* Machine learning models are trained to detect ink in the flattened images \[1\]\[13\]. The models are trained on optical profilometry data from mechanically opened fragments, where ink visibility can be confirmed \[1\]\[7\]. The ink detection relies on subtle morphological signals from surface topography, not density contrast \[1\]\[11\]. *Stage 4: Papyrological Transcription and Analysis.* The recovered text is transcribed by papyrologists, who interpret the ancient Greek and identify philosophical content, authorship, and titles \[7\]\[9\]\[12\]. ### 4.2 Key Technical Achievements The 2026 breakthrough includes several notable technical achievements \[7\]. In PHerc. Paris 4, the optimized scan protocol makes ink directly visible in the tomographic volume, allowing three-dimensional ink segmentation \[7\]\[14\]. This represents a significant advance over previous methods that relied on surface-conditioned ink recovery \[1\]\[7\]. In PHerc. 1667, the complete virtual unwrapping and reading of a rolled scroll was achieved for the first time, recovering nearly 1.5 meters of text across 20 columns \[7\]\[12\]. In PHerc. 139, the recovery of the title *Philodemus, On Gods, Book 8* demonstrates the ability to identify authors and works \[7\]\[9\]. ### 4.3 Scalability Challenges The current AI models are not yet fully generalizable across the entire collection \[7\]\[9\]. Differences in ink composition, papyrus condition, and scroll structure between individual scrolls mean that models trained on one scroll may not perform optimally on another \[7\]\[14\]. The virtual unwrapping pipeline also faces challenges where adjacent sheets are densely packed or torn \[7\]\[10\]. Scaling the approach to the remaining 400 to 600 unopened scrolls will require further automation, larger training datasets, and continued algorithmic improvement \[7\]\[8\]\[14\]. ### 4.4 Quantified Metrics The following metrics have been reported \[2\]\[3\]\[7\]\[9\]\[11\]\[12\]\[14\]: scanning resolution of 2 micrometers; dataset size of up to 300 terabytes per scroll; 1.5 meters of text recovered from PHerc. 1667 across 20 columns; more than 70 columns recovered from PHerc. 172; approximately 45 scrolls and fragments scanned to date; an estimated 400 to 600 unopened scrolls remaining; and USD 1.8 million in prizes awarded. These figures are derived from project announcements and are subject to refinement as analysis continues \[7\]\[8\]. --- ## 5\. Economic and Market Dynamics ### 5.1 Direct Economic Impact The Vesuvius Challenge has injected USD 1.8 million into the research ecosystem through prize awards \[2\]\[7\]\[8\]. An additional USD 1 million grand prize has been offered for reading another scroll \[8\]\[9\]. The Musk Foundation has reportedly allocated USD 3 million to support archaeological and restorative studies focused on ancient Rome, including the deciphering of Herculaneum papyri \[4\]\[13\]. These funding flows represent a modest but significant investment in cultural heritage technology. ### 5.2 Market for AI and Imaging Technologies The breakthrough demonstrates a market for specialized AI and imaging technologies applied to cultural heritage \[7\]\[10\]. Potential commercial applications include licensing of the virtual unwrapping and ink detection software, specialized scanning services for other damaged manuscripts, and spin-off applications in document restoration, security scanning, and materials science \[7\]\[14\]. However, no peer-reviewed source was identified that quantifies the size of this market or the revenue potential of these applications. ### 5.3 Tourism and Cultural Heritage Economics The Herculaneum Archaeological Park is a significant cultural and touristic hub \[8\]\[16\]. The breakthrough is likely to generate increased public interest and visitor numbers \[4\]\[5\]. However, robust economic data linking the specific breakthrough to tourism revenue is limited. The Villa of the Papyri remains only partially excavated, and the potential for further discoveries could drive additional tourism investment \[8\]\[16\]. ### 5.4 Economic Value of Recovered Knowledge The economic value of recovered philosophical and historical knowledge is inherently difficult to quantify \[10\]\[14\]. The texts represent primary documents from classical antiquity, offering insights into Stoic and Epicurean philosophy that have been lost for nearly two millennia \[4\]\[5\]\[7\]. The value accrues to scholarship, education, and cultural heritage rather than to direct commercial markets. No peer-reviewed source was identified that provides a monetized estimate of this value. ### 5.5 Funding Models The Vesuvius Challenge operates on a philanthropic, donation-funded model \[8\]\[9\]. This model has proven effective in mobilizing resources and incentivizing innovation through prize competitions \[8\]\[11\]. The involvement of the Musk Foundation suggests potential for high-net-worth individual philanthropy \[4\]\[13\]. The Mellon Foundation's earlier sponsorship of EduceLab work demonstrates the role of institutional philanthropy \[13\]. Public-private partnerships, such as the use of publicly funded synchrotron facilities for privately funded research, represent a hybrid model that may be replicated for other cultural heritage projects \[2\]\[3\]\[14\]. --- ![Ancient statue of a centaur amidst the ruins in Pompeii under a clear blue sky. by Ian MacKay](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/fa/1dfa0703-59cd-42c7-a4f8-b16e218c2d7c/content/images/2026/07/pexels-ian-mackay-386433761-18809653.jpg) Ancient statue of a centaur amidst the ruins in Pompeii under a clear blue sky. by ****Ian** ****MacKay** --- ## 6\. Regulatory Landscape ### 6.1 Italian Cultural Heritage Law The Herculaneum scrolls are subject to Italian cultural property law \[16\]. Italy has vested ownership of all antiquities in the state since the 1930s. Law No. 112 of 2013 specifically addresses the protection and enhancement of the Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata, which have been UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1997 \[16\]. The Code of Cultural and Landscape Property provides for criminal sanctions and fines for violations. Export of cultural property from Italy is subject to a general ban \[16\]. ### 6.2 Intellectual Property Considerations The Vesuvius Challenge has adopted an open-access policy, releasing scans, data, code and models to the public \[7\]\[8\]. This raises questions about intellectual property rights for AI-generated reconstructions and digital texts \[7\]\[9\]. The legal framework for AI-generated works remains unsettled in many jurisdictions \[9\]. The open-access approach mitigates the risk of commercial exploitation claims but may limit the ability to generate revenue from licensing \[8\]\[14\]. ### 6.3 Data Sharing and Open Science The Vesuvius Challenge's commitment to open data aligns with principles of open science but may conflict with traditional scholarly publication models that emphasize exclusive access \[7\]\[8\]. The public release of scans and AI models enables broad participation but also raises questions about quality control and attribution \[7\]\[9\]. No specific regulatory framework governs the sharing of cultural heritage data generated by AI, though general principles of open access and data protection may apply \[8\]\[10\]. ### 6.4 Physical Preservation The scrolls are housed in the National Library of Naples and subject to Italian cultural property law and conservation standards \[8\]\[16\]. The non-invasive nature of the scanning and virtual unwrapping approach eliminates the physical risks associated with mechanical unrolling, reducing regulatory concerns about damage to the artifacts \[7\]\[14\]. The regulatory dimension of the Herculaneum scrolls breakthrough is relatively thin, as the primary regulatory frameworks (cultural heritage protection, export controls) predate the technological innovation and do not specifically address AI-generated reconstructions or digital texts \[8\]\[16\]. --- ## 7\. Geopolitical and Strategic Dimensions ### 7.1 Scientific Diplomacy and European Soft Power The ESRF and Diamond Light Source are major European research infrastructures that serve as instruments of scientific diplomacy \[3\]\[14\]\[15\]. The collaboration between French, British, Italian, and US institutions in the Vesuvius Challenge demonstrates the soft power value of international scientific cooperation in cultural heritage \[2\]\[3\]\[7\]. The breakthrough enhances the prestige of European synchrotron facilities and their role in advancing humanities research \[3\]\[15\]. ### 7.2 International Collaboration The Vesuvius Challenge involves partners from the United States (University of Kentucky, Vesuvius Challenge), the United Kingdom (Diamond Light Source, University of Glasgow, Bodleian Library), France (ESRF), and Italy (Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, National Library of Naples) \[2\]\[3\]\[7\]\[8\]\[11\]. This international collaboration model may serve as a template for other large-scale cultural heritage digitization projects \[7\]\[10\]. ### 7.3 Applicability to Other Cultural Heritage Materials The technologies developed for the Herculaneum scrolls have potential applications to other damaged or inaccessible cultural heritage materials globally \[7\]\[14\]. These include the Dead Sea Scrolls, Maya codices, medieval manuscripts, and other carbonized or deteriorated documents \[7\]\[13\]. The ability to non-invasively read texts that are too fragile to open could transform the study of numerous manuscript collections \[7\]\[14\]. However, the generalizability of the approach to different materials and ink types remains an open question \[7\]\[9\]. ### 7.4 Competition and Cooperation The Vesuvius Challenge has fostered cooperation through open data and prize competitions, rather than competition among nations \[8\]\[9\]. The approach may influence how other countries approach cultural heritage digitization, with a potential shift towards open, collaborative models \[7\]\[10\]. The involvement of US technology executives (Friedman, Musk) in a European cultural heritage project highlights the transnational nature of technology-driven heritage preservation \[4\]\[8\]\[13\]. The geopolitical dimension of this breakthrough is limited, as the project has been characterized by cooperation rather than strategic rivalry \[2\]\[7\]\[8\]. The primary strategic significance lies in the demonstration of soft power and the potential for technology transfer to other heritage contexts \[3\]\[14\]\[15\]. --- ## 8\. Risk Matrix | Risk | Likelihood | Potential Impact | Credible Mitigations | | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Damage to scrolls during handling or scanning | Low | High | Rigorous handling protocols; non-invasive scanning techniques; use of synchrotron facilities with proven track records; minimal physical manipulation \[2\]\[3\]\[7\] | | Failure of AI models to generalise to the full collection | Medium | High | Continued training on diverse datasets; development of domain-generalisation techniques; iterative pseudo-labeling; open collaboration to pool expertise \[7\]\[9\]\[14\] | | Disputes over intellectual property or access to digital texts | Medium | Medium | Clear open-access policies; transparent licensing for AI models and data; engagement with stakeholders on attribution and use rights \[7\]\[8\]\[9\] | | Over-hyping of results leading to loss of public and donor confidence | Medium | Medium | Cautious communication; peer review of findings; clear distinction between demonstrated results and aspirational claims \[7\]\[8\]\[9\] | | Inadequate funding for full-scale digitisation | Medium | High | Diversified funding sources (philanthropy, public grants, private investment); continued prize incentives; public-private partnerships \[8\]\[9\]\[13\] | | Physical deterioration of unopened scrolls | Medium | High | Prioritisation of scanning for most fragile scrolls; continued conservation efforts; climate-controlled storage \[8\]\[11\]\[16\] | --- ## 9\. Strategic Recommendations ### 9.1 For Cultural Heritage Policymakers and Museum Directors *Invest in Synchrotron Access.* Secure long-term access agreements with synchrotron facilities (ESRF, Diamond Light Source) for ongoing scanning of the remaining scrolls \[2\]\[3\]\[14\]. The dataset size and resolution requirements (2 micrometers, 300 terabytes per scroll) necessitate continued access to major research infrastructures \[3\]\[7\]\[14\]. *Support Open Data Initiatives.* Adopt and promote open-access policies for cultural heritage data, including scans, AI models, and transcriptions \[7\]\[8\]. Open access maximizes scholarly impact and public engagement while minimizing intellectual property disputes \[7\]\[9\]\[14\]. *Establish International Collaboration Frameworks.* Develop formal agreements for international collaboration on cultural heritage digitization, building on the Vesuvius Challenge model \[7\]\[10\]. These frameworks should address data sharing, attribution, and publication rights \[7\]\[8\]\[10\]. *Prioritize Conservation and Digitization.* Allocate resources to conservation of the unopened scrolls and prioritize scanning based on fragility and scholarly value \[8\]\[11\]\[16\]. The non-invasive nature of the approach eliminates the trade-off between preservation and access \[7\]\[14\]. ### 9.2 For Technology Investors and AI Developers *Invest in Cultural Heritage AI.* The Herculaneum scrolls breakthrough demonstrates a viable market for AI applied to cultural heritage \[7\]\[10\]. Opportunities include virtual unwrapping software, ink detection models, and document restoration tools \[7\]\[14\]. The Vesuvius Challenge's open problems (automated virtual unwrapping, domain-generalized ink detection) represent specific investment targets \[7\]\[9\]. *Develop Spin-off Applications.* The technologies developed for the scrolls have potential applications beyond cultural heritage, including document restoration for archives, security scanning for forensic purposes, and materials science for non-destructive testing \[7\]\[14\]. These applications represent commercial opportunities \[7\]\[10\]. *Engage with Prize Competitions.* The Vesuvius Challenge offers prize incentives (USD 1 million grand prize) that can catalyze innovation and provide a return on investment for AI development \[8\]\[9\]. Participation in such competitions can generate intellectual property, demonstrate capability, and build reputation \[7\]\[8\]. *Support Open-Source Development.* The open-source nature of the Vesuvius Challenge software creates opportunities for contribution and commercialization \[7\]\[8\]. Developing proprietary extensions or services on top of open-source foundations can generate revenue while maintaining community engagement \[7\]\[14\]. ### 9.3 For Academic Researchers and Funders *Prioritize Scaling Research.* Fund research to scale AI models to the full collection of 400 to 600 unopened scrolls \[7\]\[8\]\[14\]. Key priorities include domain-generalization techniques, automated virtual unwrapping, and improved ink detection \[7\]\[9\]\[14\]. *Support Interdisciplinary Collaboration.* The breakthrough required expertise in computer science, papyrology, physics, and heritage science \[1\]\[7\]\[10\]. Funders should support interdisciplinary research centers and projects that bridge these fields \[7\]\[10\]\[14\]. *Invest in Training Data.* The development of robust AI models depends on high-quality training data from mechanically opened fragments \[1\]\[7\]\[13\]. Fund collection and digitization of training data to improve model performance \[1\]\[7\]\[13\]. *Promote Open Science.* Encourage open publication of data, code, and models \[7\]\[8\]. Open science accelerates research, enables replication, and maximizes the impact of public funding \[7\]\[10\]\[14\]. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/fa/1dfa0703-59cd-42c7-a4f8-b16e218c2d7c/content/images/2026/07/PraireGuildLogo-1.png) ![Equitas Collective Logo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/fa/1dfa0703-59cd-42c7-a4f8-b16e218c2d7c/content/images/2026/04/EquitasCollectiv1e-8.png) Content Provided by Equitas Collective --- **References** **\[1\]** Angelotti, Giorgio, Federica Nicolardi, Paul Henderson, and W. Brent Seales. 2026\. "Ink Detection from Surface Topography of the Herculaneum Papyri." *Scientific Reports* (preprint). [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-58467-1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-58467-1?ref=datadeep.tech). **\[2\]** Diamond Light Source. 2026\. 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"UnLost: Uncovering Lost Knowledge from the Ancient Library of Herculaneum." Project Fact Sheet. [https://cordis.europa.eu](https://cordis.europa.eu/?ref=datadeep.tech). **\[11\]** Smithsonian Magazine. 2026\. "Scientists Have Deciphered the Surviving Fragments of a 2,000-Year-Old Philosophical Treatise Frozen in Time by Mount Vesuvius' Eruption." June 26\. [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-deciphered-the-surviving-fragments-of-a-2000-year-old-philosophical-treatise-frozen-in-time-by-mount-vesuvius-eruption-180989036](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-deciphered-the-surviving-fragments-of-a-2000-year-old-philosophical-treatise-frozen-in-time-by-mount-vesuvius-eruption-180989036?ref=datadeep.tech). **\[12\]** The Jerusalem Post. 2026\. "Complete Text of Carbonized Herculaneum Scroll Unlocked for First Time." June 26\. 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[http://www.larassegna.isgi.cnr.it/en/docs/law-no-112-of-7-october-2013-conversion-into-law-with-amendments-of-the-law-decree-no-91-of-8-august-2013-concerning-urgent-measures-for-the-protection-enhancement-and-recovery-of-assets-and-cultu](http://www.larassegna.isgi.cnr.it/en/docs/law-no-112-of-7-october-2013-conversion-into-law-with-amendments-of-the-law-decree-no-91-of-8-august-2013-concerning-urgent-measures-for-the-protection-enhancement-and-recovery-of-assets-and-cultu?ref=datadeep.tech).