Scientists use light brighter than the Sun to 'read' ancient scrolls

10 Oct 2019

Scientists use light brighter than the Sun to ‘read’ ancient scrolls

Scientists use light brighter than the Sun to ‘read’ ancient scrollsScientists are using light brighter than sunlight to read texts written on ancient papyrus scrolls.

These scrolls are from the library of Herculaneum. Pompeii and Herculaneum are ancient Roman cities which were destroyed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.
 	Archaeologists unearthed the towns and the library in the 18th century.
 	The library of Herculaneum is the only library that has survived from ancient times.
 	Hence the scrolls found in it are extremely valuable. Scientists hope to study them to help us understand those time periods better.

However, the scrolls are too fragile to be opened, as they have been carbonized (turned into charcoal).

Thankfully, British scientists have found a way to virtually unwrap the scrolls using a particle accelerator at the Diamond Light Source facility at Oxfordshire, UK.
 	In this particle accelerator, light beams travel around a closed-loop path to produce a light many times brighter than sunlight.
 	So, scientists will shine this intense light through the scrolls, creating a number of 2D images. That will help them to read the text without destroying them.
 	Once they "unwrap" the scrolls, scientists will then create a computer algorithm to understand what is written on the scrolls.

Once they finish this, they will analyse the final data at the University of Kentucky.

Recommended for Middle Grades

Scientists are using light brighter than sunlight to read texts written on ancient papyrus scrolls. These scrolls are from the library of Herculaneum. Pompeii and […]

To read more...

Share your comment! Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

To post your comment Login/Signup