Researchers Decipher Herculaneum Scrolls Found at Pompeii
The Herculaneum scrolls, first discovered within Pompeii's ruins in 1752, have long beguiled scientists. Written on papyrus using carbon-based ink, the scrolls cannot be physically opened without disintegrating. With the advent of digital AI technology, researchers have been given a new opportunity to discover the scrolls' contents.Using the technology, they were able to decipher the contents and even identify the author of an ancient piece entitled 'On Vices.' The tome, on how to live a virtuous life, was written by Greek Epicurean philosopher Philodemus, who lived in Herculaneum from 110 B.C. until 35 B.C. The discovery of his work within the ruins of Pompeii indicates that Philodemus' work was still highly regarded amongst modern people.
'Finding the full title of a work inside a scroll that has been unread for two millennia is an astonishing achievement,' Richard Ovenden, who works at the library which houses the scrolls, told the Daily Mail. '[It] illustrates the huge potential for AI to transform arts and humanities scholarship, our understanding of the past, and breathes new life into ancient artifacts.'
Although the AI technology allows researchers to virtually unroll the scrolls, reading what was inscribed within them is still a difficult task. The document was eventually unfurled and decoded by two separate research teams: Marcel Roth and Micha Nowak from the University of Würzburg, Germany; and Sean Johnson with Vesuvius Challenge, a program which awards cash prizes to those who are able to decipher the scrolls.
'The simultaneous reproduction of the title image from multiple sources, along with independent scholarly review, provides a high degree of confidence in the reading,' the Bodleian Libraries said.
As it turns out, their hard work paid off. Roth and Nowak took home the very first Vesuvius Challenge Title Prize, which included a reward of $60,000.
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National Geographic
7 hours ago
- National Geographic
This ancient Egyptian left behind 4,500-year-old DNA. It was used to recreate his face.
Scientists have for the first time sequenced the most complete and oldest ancient Egyptian genome ever found—unlocking new secrets from the Old Kingdom. This facial reconstruction of an ancient Egyptian whose genome was sequenced was based off a 3D-scan of the skull. Illustration by Caroline Wilkinson, Liverpool John Moores University/Morez, A. (2025), Nature Sealed in a ceramic funerary pot, knees curled to his chin, the Egyptian skeleton lay undisturbed for thousands of years. In 1902, British archaeologists excavated him from his tomb carved into a limestone hillside in the Nuwayrat necropolis, more than 150 miles south of Cairo. While the pharaohs of his time built colossal monuments like the Great Pyramid of Giza, this man, likely a potter who lived 4,500 to 4,800 years ago, left behind a different kind of legacy: his exceptionally well-preserved DNA. Somehow, his remains endured centuries of scorching Egyptian heat and even Nazi bombings while housed in Liverpool, England, during World War II. Now scientists have sequenced the first whole genome of an ancient Egyptian from intact DNA extracted from in his teeth. The study, published Wednesday in Nature, describes the oldest Egyptian DNA ever recovered, radiocarbon dated to between 2855 and 2570 B.C. This was during the end of the Early Dynastic and the beginning of the Old Kingdom periods, when Egypt's rulers consolidated power and ushered in the 'Age of the Pyramids.' 'There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ancient genomes from across the world,' says Linus Girdland-Flink, a biomolecular archaeologist at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and a co-corresponding author of the paper. To date, scientists have collected ancient DNA from Neanderthals, Denisovans, and Homo sapiens from 45,000 years ago. 'Yet, Egypt has remained a kind of white spot on the map of this big puzzle of human genetic ancestry.' Previously, the oldest DNA recovered from ancient Egypt came from three mummies buried at the Abusir el-Meleq necropolis and dated between 787 and 23 B.C. But those sequences only represented partial genomes. The new genome is complete and comes from an individual who lived some 1,500 years earlier. Pottery coffin and archaeological remains of the Nuwayrat individual, as discovered in 1902. Photograph Courtesy Garstang Museum, University of Liverpool 'This genome allows us–for the first time–to get insights into the genetic ancestry of an ancient Egyptian individual from the Old Kingdom period,' Adeline Morez Jacobs, a biological anthropologist who conducted the research while pursuing her doctoral degree at the Liverpool John Moores University, said during a press briefing. It also allowed for scientists to partially reconstruct what the person's face might have looked like. Daniel Antoine, head of the department of Egypt and Sudan at The British Museum in London, who peer-reviewed the paper, praised the work. 'Although this is based on one individual, the finding is highly significant as ancient DNA rarely survives in the Nile valley,' he says. With it, scientists can start to unravel genetic clues to how different populations of people interacted in ancient Egypt. Ancient genetic ancestry revealed With the DNA sequenced, scientists can start to ask questions about this ancient individual, starting with a basic one: who were his ancestors? While this is the lineage of just one person, it could help historians understand how people migrated and mixed in ancient Egypt. About 80 percent of the man's ancestry traces back to Neolithic populations in North Africa. The remaining 20 percent is linked to ancient peoples from West Asia, including Mesopotamia and the eastern Fertile Crescent, which encompass present day Iraq, western Iran, parts of Syria and the extreme southeast of Turkey, Morez Jacobs says. They did not find evidence of East African or sub-Saharan African ancestry in the Nuwayrat individual. The researchers don't know when in the Nuwayrat man's lineage these two populations mixed, but say it likely occurred over hundreds or even thousands of years in the man's ancestry, and maybe multiple times. This genetic data aligns with archaeological evidence, suggesting that in addition to trading goods like crops, animals and culture like writing systems and the pottery wheel, people themselves were moving and intermingling between regions. 'The paper constitutes a significant milestone in the field of ancient Egyptian genomics,' says Yehia Gad, scientific supervisor of the ancient DNA lab at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, who was not involved in the study. He says the new finding 'reinforces the status of ancient Egypt as a hub and melting pot of the old world.' The next steps for the team, says Girdland-Flink, is to collaborate with Egyptian scientists to further decipher Egypt's past. Gad, who helps lead Egypt's national genome project, which aims to sequence the genomes of 100,000 Egyptian adults and 200 ancient Egyptian mummies, says he welcomes the idea. 'We can all serve and work together to draw a better picture of this fascinating ancient civilization, which constitutes an important stage in the journey of humanity,' he says. Facial Reconstruction and Potential Controversy In addition to sequencing the Nuwayrat man's genome, the researchers also unveiled a facial reconstruction made by forensic anthropologist Caroline Wilkinson. Wilkinson, who leads the Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University, previously recreated the faces of figures like Ramesses II and Cleopatra's sister Arsinoë IV. Starting with a 3D scan of his skull, she constructed his facial features like the jawline, nose, and eyes—body parts that are relatively easy to predict from bone structure alone, she says. The ears and mouth, by contrast, are more difficult. Genetic analysis suggested the man likely had brown eyes, brown hair and skin pigmentation 'ranging from dark to black skin,' based on predictions from a tool called the HirisPlexS system. But the authors caution that these predictions come with some uncertainty given the limited genetic data from comparable ancient populations. Pottery vessel in which the Nuwayrat individual was discovered. Photograph Courtesy Garstang Museum, University of Liverpool Rock-cut tombs at Nuwayrat enclosing the pottery vessel containing the pottery coffin burial. Photograph Courtesy Garstang Museum, University of Liverpool To avoid speculation about features they could not definitively determine, Wilkinson says, she and her team rendered the reconstruction in grayscale, without hair or skin tone. She added that she expects the image to spark some controversy, as past depictions of other ancient Egyptians have. They are often criticized for appearing 'too European' or 'too African,' she says. But Wilkinson emphasizes that the face is just what one person in antiquity looked like. 'This individual is not representative of everybody from this period of time from this part of the world, any more than I am representative of everybody in Europe today.' For more insights into who this person was, and the life he led, scientists needed to look beyond his face. His worn teeth suggested he was between 44 and 64, though likely at the older end. His skeleton showed signs of age-related arthritis, worn joints and vertebrae, and muscle strain from frequent squatting and leaning, patterns consistent with physically demanding pottery work, says Joel Irish, a bioarchaeologist at Liverpool John Moores University and a co-author of the study. 'He was looking down a lot during his lifetime, like teenagers look at their cell phones today,' says Irish. The team concluded from these clues and by studying hieroglyphics of pottery workshops that the man was likely a potter as opposed to a baker, farmer, mason or soldier. Though they could not rule out weaver. The team speculated that if he were a potter, then perhaps there may be some link between his profession and why he was buried in the ceramic pot. But they also added that the practice wasn't unique to potters, this time period, or Nuwayrat. But what about pyramid builder? Was the Nuwayrat man hauling huge stones in Giza (more than a hundred miles away from where he was buried)? That's 'pure speculation' says Girdland-Flink. He also cautions against drawing conclusions about the people who constructed the pyramids based on this one ancient Egyptian genome." In terms of who built the pyramids,' Girdland-Flink says, 'you must have the actual workers' genomes.'
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Miami Herald
a day ago
- Miami Herald
22 pieces of ancient Wonder of the World to be resurrected from Egypt harbor
Thirty years after its discovery, pieces of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which stood watch long ago in the harbors of ancient Egypt, are being pulled from the depths of the Mediterranean. Archaeologists are planning to bring 22 of the largest blocks, including portions of the lighthouse's colossal door, in order to scan and digitally reconstruct it, according to a July 1 news release from France's National Center for Scientific Research. Also known as the Pharos of Alexandria, this famous lighthouse is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The team said they plan to extract the uprights and lintels of the door, estimated to weigh about 176,000 pounds, as well as the threshold and base slabs, according to the release. They also plan to pull up a previously unknown pylon with an Egyptian-style door and Greek-style technique, the release said. Once the blocks are scanned, they will be used in virtual models and reconstructions to test all hypotheses about how the lighthouse was built and why it fell, according to archaeologists. The virtual reconstruction will bring the storied structure back to its original splendor and give people a chance to view it as if they were actually there, experts said. The excavation is being conducted by France's National Center for Scientific Research, specifically by its permanent unit in Egypt, the Center for Alexandrian Studies, under the authority of the Ministry of Tourism and Egyptian Antiquities, the release said. Built by Sostratus of Cnidus and finished during the reign of his son Ptolemy II of Egypt in about 280 B.C., the lighthouse is estimated to have stood 350 feet tall, surpassed only by the pyramids of Giza. The lighthouse was one of the last of the ancient Wonders of the World to be destroyed, first reduced to rubble by multiple earthquakes, then turned into a fort in the late 15th century, according to experts. The ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria were discovered in 1995 by archaeologist Jean-Yves, according to the release. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from France's National Center for Scientific Research.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Found a Lost Egyptian City Buried in the Nile Delta
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Archaeologists discovered the lost ancient city of Imet in modern-day Egypt's eastern Nile Delta. Included within the find were multi-story 'tower' homes showing the urbanization of the area. Evidence indicated the worship of the city's patron deity, the cobra goddess Wadjet, waned over time. The discovery of the ancient city Imet in Egypt's eastern Nile Delta offers intriguing insights, including the architectural urbanization of the area prior to the Roman era, and worship of the city's patron deity, the cobra goddess Wadjet. Excavations at Tell el-Fara'in reveal cultural norms during the early- to middle-fourth century B.C., which feature intricate urbanization with 'substantial tower houses,' structures that were basically multi-story buildings supported by exceptionally thick foundation walls, according to a statement from the University of Manchester. 'These tower houses are mainly found in the Nile Delta between the Late Period and the Roman era, and are rare elsewhere in Egypt,' Nicky Nielsen, researcher with the University of Manchester, said in a statement. 'Their presence here shows that Imet was a thriving and densely built city with a complex urban infrastructure.' The thick foundation walls were designed to support the weight of the tall buildings. The houses, with their multiple floors, were crafted to accommodate many people, Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in a translated statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The researchers located the city using remote sensing via high-resolution satellite imagery. The images identified clusters of ancient mudbricks that led the team to on-the-ground excavation. It was then they discovered the tower houses. But that wasn't all they found. The team discovered a grain processing center, which featured a paved area and animal enclosures. The find offers information about both the local economy and the religious significance of the area. Nielsen said Imet was prominent during the New Kingdom, sometime between 1550 and 1069 B.C. and its location along trade routes allowed it to maintain importance, especially as it attracted Wadjet pilgrims and merchants. A newer find, from the mid-Ptolemaic Period of about 200 B.C., showed a large structure with a limestone plaster floor and impressive pillars wrapped with stucco. The building was constructed across a processional road that once connected to the temple of Wadjet. Researchers believe that this new building, placed over the ceremonial road shows the worship of Wadjet had waned by that time, offering insight into a shifting religious landscape in ancient Egypt. The temple of Wadjet was rebuilt by Ramses II in the mid-1200s B.C., and then again by Ahmose II in the mid-500s B.C. but began a decline thereafter. The past religious culture of Imet has started to come into greater clarity in the present day, thanks to finds like a green faience ushabti (a ceramic funerary figurine) from the 26th Dynasty, a stela (an upright stone slab with a relief design) of the god Harpocrates (the Greek name for Horus the Child) standing on two crocodiles while holding a snake, and a bronze sistrum musical instrument adorned with the twin heads of Hathor, goddess of music and joy. 'This discovery opens new doors to our understanding of daily life, spirituality, and urban planning in the Delta,' Nielsen said. 'Imet is emerging as a key site for rethinking the archaeology of Late Period Egypt.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
