Will ancient scrolls damaged by Vesuvius be read again?

Scientists believe they have developed technology to see what is on the famous scrolls

Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius overlooks the Bay of Naples 
(Image credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Scientists believe they have discovered the technology to read the charred and blackened scrolls left behind after Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79.

Two complete scrolls and four fragments were buried and carbonized by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and are too fragile to be opened. They came from the so-called Herculaneum library, the only one surviving from antiquity.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More