1 The metal ink found on the ancient scrolls of Vesuvius 500 years ago has been digitally resurrected from the Hebrew scrolls, but the seaside library is also located in the shadow of the volcano that is about to create terrible history.
The most famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD was the burial of Pompeii, which solemnly preserved many cultural relics and residents in the once prosperous town in southern Naples. The rolling volcanic ash cloud also buried the nearby resort of Herkulanim, which is full of its own miracles. During the excavation of 1752, the digger found a villa with bundles of scrolls, which were carbonized under the high heat of pyroclastic flow and preserved under the cement-like rock stratum. Further excavation shows that these scrolls are part of a huge library, which makes the building named "Parpl Villa".
So far, about 1800 scrolls blackened and twisted by volcanic events have been found, which is a reading challenge. Some can be unfolded mechanically, but hundreds are still too fragile to try. They look like charcoal sticks. Today, more than 200 years later, archaeologists have studied two of the scrolls, found a way to peek inside the scrolls with X-rays, and read the lost texts since ancient times.
Roger MacFarlane, a classicist at Brigham Young University in Utah, said: "Anyone who cares about the ancient world is always excited to read a paragraph, a chapter or even more. "
Up to now, most of the unsealed scrolls are Philodem's philosophical works, which were not discovered by modern scholars until the library was discovered. Epicurus was a Greek philosopher. In the third century BC, he advocated happiness as the main goal of life, but with a modest lifestyle, he avoided the fear of the afterlife and learned from nature. Philodemus was born in Jordan in 1 th century BC, studied Epicurism in Athens, and became an outstanding teacher and interpreter of philosopher's thoughts.
Modern scholars argue whether these scrolls are part of the personal collection in the era of Philodemus, or whether they are mainly replicas of the first century AD. In addition to volcanic eruptions, mechanical or chemical techniques have led to their destruction. Sometimes these exquisite objects will be broken into pieces or completely destroyed. It will be a great feat to find out their exact origin. Once the page is opened, readability will be affected.
"Ironically, when someone opens the scroll, they will write down what they can read on a separate piece of paper, just like a fax. Once the original ink is exposed to the air, it will begin to fade, "said Brent Sears, a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky who specializes in digital imaging. More importantly, violent technology usually sticks some pages together to capture hidden layers and their valuable content.
From 2007 to 20 12, siles cooperated with Daniel Delattre of the French National Center for Scientific Research to scan the scrolls collected by French research institutions before his death. 1802, the king of Bonaparte gave these scrolls as gifts to the king of Naples. The microscopic CT scanning of the two reels shows their internal structure-an exquisite roulette wheel similar to a fingerprint. Based on these data, the research team estimates that if the scroll can be fully unfolded, the length of the scroll will be between 36 and 49 feet. But the scanning results are not sensitive enough. Easons, one of the questions is, if these things are hard to read, why do you keep taking them out? "Sears said. However, many people think that there is a lower "wing" in the villa collection, which may contain more Latin texts of 1 century and even early Christian works, providing new clues for the biblical era.
Statistically speaking, if you open a new roll of papyrus of Herculaneum, MacFarlane said, "This is probably an article by Philodmus." But I'm more interested in Latin, so I won't be unhappy with more Latin texts, which are not all messy.
It is very important for Mocella to read another book to understand the operation of libraries and classical philosophy schools. He said, "No matter what language, the library is a unique cultural treasure house, because it is the only ancient library that almost completely preserves its books." Sears said that it is the library as a whole that gives it a "special" status.
This scanning method may also be useful for texts outside the Roman world. Medieval books often took apart old books for binding. Scanning can help find interesting gossip without destroying the preserved works. In addition, the letters and documents of the unfortunate Franklin Northwest Passage Expedition in the19th century have been found, but it has proved difficult to open them without causing damage. "All these materials can benefit from non-invasive treatment," Seales said.