Analysis of Herculaneum Papyri with X-ray Computed Tomography

Abstract: The town of Herculaneum was destroyed by the pyroclastic flows of the erupting Mt. Vesuvius in 79CE. However, many artifacts and structures were preserved by this same process, until their rediscovery in the last few centuries. The Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum contained many papyrus scrolls, carbonized in the eruption but otherwise still intact. Studying the text inside these papyri is made extremely difficult by their fragile state, and any attempts to read them result in irreparable damage. Scholars studying these rolls must painstakingly remove each layer of papyrus to read the text beneath and carefully preserve the resulting fragments. A non-destructive method of unwrapping the Herculaneum papyri would be of great use to scholars, while simultaneously preserving the cultural heritage of one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world. This has been the goal of the EDUCE (Enhanced Digital Unwrapping for Conservation and Exploration) project.