Scientists burn scrolls to read ancient texts trapped by Vesuvius

Lead traces reveal hidden writing

Scientists found that tiny amounts of lead in ancient ink make text visible during X-ray scans. This discovery allows researchers to see writing inside scrolls that were carbonized by volcanic ash nearly two thousand years ago.

Experiment mimics historical eruption

Douglas Seiler recreated the conditions of the 79 C.E. event by burning papyrus sealed in a container. He used traditional lampblack ink and wrote passages on Egyptian papyrus before placing them in a high-temperature furnace.

Method targets lost library

The technique aims to unlock Greek and Roman texts preserved in Herculaneum after the eruption overwhelmed the city. More than a thousand scrolls in a local library were transformed into fragile remains during that catastrophe.