In a groundbreaking development, a charred and carbonised scroll, which miraculously endured the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, has yielded the decipherment of a complete word and numerous letters for the very first time. According to a recent research conducted by artificial intelligence (AI), the term “πoρφύραc” in ancient Greek denotes the concept of “purple dye” or “clothes of purple.”
The aforementioned writing originates from a collection of several scrolls and papyri discovered in the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum, located in Italy, during the 1750s. These artefacts were once considered illegible upon their excavation. On Thursday, October 12, the Vesuvius Challenge, a competition focused on machine learning for the purpose of uncovering the content of the Herculaneum papyri, granted a monetary prize of $40,000 to Luke Farritor, a 21-year-old undergraduate student majoring in computer science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in recognition of his successful investigative efforts.
In a statement, Farritor, an intern at SpaceX, reported that while engaged in nocturnal ambulation, they serendipitously examined the latest outputs of their code on their mobile device. I had not anticipated obtaining any significant outcomes; so, when a collection of six letters materialised on my computer screen, I experienced a profound sense of elation.
The Vesuvius Challenge was established in March by Brent Seales, an esteemed professor of computer science at the University of Kentucky, together with his colleagues. This initiative was undertaken in collaboration with many organisations on a global scale, including EduceLab, the Library of the Institut de France, and investors from Silicon Valley. The challenge involved providing candidates with access to the partners’ software, as well as a collection of several 3D X-ray photos depicting two rolled-up scrolls and three papyrus fragments.
According to Farritor, the EduceLab team shown exceptional proficiency in establishing a robust groundwork for advancement, particularly in the context of electronically unravelling the scrolls. The utilisation of their previous research, in conjunction with the observations made by other participants, enabled me to develop a machine learning detector for the identification of these letters.
Shortly following Farritor’s initial discovery, Youssef Nader, a graduate student specialising in biorobotics from Egypt, independently and conclusively identified the identical term in Berlin. Nader’s findings were even more precise, leading to his recognition and the awarding of a prize amounting to $10,000. Nader expressed a sense of exhilaration at encountering ancient texts that were beyond his comprehension but were evidently passed down to us by individuals from millennia past, as stated in his declaration. The experience resembled observing the past through the lens of a time machine.
The entries from both pupils were subjected to analysis by papyrologists with expertise in the field. According to the reviewers, they expressed great enthusiasm regarding the outcomes.
According to Federica Nicolardi, an assistant professor of papyrology at the University of Naples Federico II, the experience of reading complete phrases rather than mere sequences of characters within a scroll is highly exhilarating. One distinguishing characteristic of the Library of Herculaneum is the exclusive nature of its surviving texts, which have not been encountered in any other known sources. Nevertheless, I am optimistic that we will soon acquire the ability to engage in more extensive reading, comprehend the subject matter of the manuscript, ascertain the identity of the scribe, if already documented in the collection, and determine the script’s date.
The author observed that purple dye held significant value inside the Roman Empire due to its scarcity and association with royalty. According to the speaker, the substance in question was derived from the secretory organs of marine gastropods. Consequently, the name might potentially encompass various meanings, such as denoting a shade of purple, garments, the social status of individuals capable of procuring the dye, or even the mollusks themselves.
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius resulted in the devastation of the historical urban centres of Pompeii and Herculaneum, leading to the unfortunate demise of around 2,000 individuals. Throughout the course of numerous excavations conducted over several centuries, a significant number of valuable artefacts have been unearthed from the towns under examination. Among these treasures are numerous scrolls, which are believed to have originated from prominent Roman statesmen, potentially including Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, who was the father-in-law of Julius Caesar. The preservation of the papyri can be attributed to their burial in soil, mud, water, and volcanic gases, followed by desiccation by exposure to heat and subsequent carbonization. This process effectively safeguarded the papyri from deterioration.
The provision of supplementary financial incentives could potentially result in an increased number of deciphered papyri. According to the provided statement, a monetary prize of $700,000 will be awarded to the initial team that successfully decrypts four inner layer portions of text by the conclusion of the year 2023. An additional sum of $50,000 will be granted to individuals who can effectively identify ink presence in the 3D X-ray images of the papyri.
According to Seales, the challenge facilitated the engagement of over a thousand research teams, a much larger number compared to the typical involvement of only five individuals, in addressing a problem. The scientific competitiveness associated with this endeavour is quite intriguing.
