A groundbreaking discovery has emerged from a scroll buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. This scroll, written by the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus, has been identified through advanced scanning technology. The find marks a significant breakthrough in the recovery of texts from the Herculaneum library.
X-ray Imaging Reveals “On Vices” by Philodemus
In July 2024, researchers scanned the scroll, cataloged as PHerc. 172, at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron in Oxfordshire. Using cutting-edge X-ray technology, they detected ink traces for the first time. This allowed them to identify the title—On Vices—and confirm Philodemus as the author.
The text is part of a multi-volume work discussing human flaws like arrogance, greed, and flattery. Researchers believe this scroll contains the first volume, suggested by the appearance of the Greek letter alpha.
A Breakthrough in Digital Scanning Technology
Dr. Michael McOsker from University College London described the discovery as a first in X-ray imaging. Previously, scholars couldn’t confirm whether the scroll contained any readable writing due to the severe damage caused by the volcanic eruption.
The scroll was part of hundreds of manuscripts recovered from a Roman villa in Herculaneum. These scrolls, once thought to be lost forever, were likely owned by a member of Julius Caesar’s family. Traditional methods would destroy the fragile papyrus, and the carbon ink had fused with the darkened paper.
A Victory in the Vesuvius Challenge
The breakthrough earned Sean Johnson, Marcel Roth, and Micha Nowak from the University of Würzburg the $60,000 first-place prize in the Vesuvius Challenge. This global competition, launched in 2023, rewards technological advancements in deciphering ancient texts.
A student team previously won the $700,000 grand prize for developing AI software that read 2,000 ancient Greek letters from another scroll. This victory further advances the field of ancient text recovery.
Ongoing Efforts to Analyze More Scrolls
In March 2025, researchers scanned 18 more scrolls at the Diamond Light Source facility. They are also analyzing 20 additional scrolls at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble.
Dr. Brent Seales, co-founder of the Vesuvius Challenge, said that while ink is visible in many scans, converting this data into readable text remains a challenge. The process involves digitally flattening and enhancing the scrolls, making the ink markings legible.
A New Era in Classical Scholarship
“This progress is happening incredibly fast,” Dr. McOsker said. “The advances we’ve made in the past three to five years are unprecedented in classical studies.”
These discoveries from the Herculaneum library are changing how scholars view ancient Greek philosophy, literature, and Roman intellectual life. The texts, once believed lost, are now opening up new avenues of research. Every scan brings us closer to uncovering a lost chapter of human history.
Technological advances are helping us recover lost knowledge from the ancient world. As researchers continue scanning and decoding these scrolls, we may soon learn more about ancient thought and culture than we ever expected.