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Scientists burn modern papyrus to unlock Herculaneum scrolls

Original: Researchers deliberately burned a modern papyrus scroll to help recover words lost nearly 2,000 years ago. Their experim

Researchers have deliberately burned a modern papyrus scroll to recreate the conditions that carbonised the ancient library of Herculaneum, buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The experiment suggests traces of lead in ancient ink could reveal which of the still-unopened scrolls contain readable text, helping prioritise which fragile artefacts to scan next in efforts to recover words lost for nearly 2,000 years.

Why now: The non-destructive scanning efforts to read the unopened Herculaneum scrolls have gained wide attention, and this experiment offers a practical way to identify which scrolls are worth reading first.

HerculaneumMount VesuviusVilla of the Papyri

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Evidence

• Researchers deliberately burned a modern papyrus scroll to help recover words lost nearly 2,000 years ago. Their experiment suggests traces of lead in ancient ink could reveal which of Herculaneum’s unopened scrolls may still speak. https:// wildhunt.org/2026/09/reading-b… · TheWildHuntNews · 2

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