Vesuvius Challenge

Stories

Writing read from a carbonized Herculaneum scroll for the first time in 2,000 years

Awarded First Letters Prize for PHerc. 306B; 20 scrolls still eligible

For 2,000 years, the text inside PHerc. 306B was sealed by carbonization. On Nov. 2, 2026, the Vesuvius Challenge awarded Liam Warner and Nicola Bodill a $50,000 First Letters Prize after they recovered readable letters from an X-ray scan.

Updated Nov 3

Lead in ancient ink makes burned Herculaneum scrolls readable by X-ray

New Capabilities

As of September 2026: Earlier breakthrough; potential venue for applying the technique

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE turned Herculaneum's papyrus library into brittle black lumps. Physical attempts to unroll the scrolls have destroyed many of them since they were found in 1752. Researchers have now shown a way to read the rest without opening them: lead in the ink.

Updated Sep 26