Saturday, March 21, 2015

Writings from Ancient Scrolls Visible with X-rays

Archaic Greek writings are now accessible thanks to newly used X-ray technology.


Almost 2000 years after the epic volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius at Pompeii, the scrolls preserved by the lava are still read today.  They act as windows into the past that enable us to grasp what that ancient culture was like, but it has not been easy to read these scrolls.  Many of these hardened writings break and crumble when scientists try to open them.  Even if they successfully open the scrolls, there is no guarantee that the letters were not altered during the process.  But all of that will change.  Researchers have recently developed a new method of reading these preserved scrolls that does not destroy them.  X-ray Phase Contrast Imaging, or XPCT, enables scientists to read the ink markings inside the scrolls by scanning them and projecting the images on a computer.  The original scientific article can be found here on Nature Communications' website.  Aside from protecting history by maintaining the original state of the scrolls, this new use of X-ray technology has global implications.  Our current understanding of ancient history is based on the writings we have unveiled so far, but, with these new scrolls, we may discover not only new stories, but also corrected stories that could completely alter our perspective.

A preserved Herculaneum scroll and its ink markings.

Scientists have tried scanning these preserved scrolls for many years by testing different techniques.  Originally, they used XCT, which is similar to a CAT scan that scans sections of objects using X-rays.  This method failed because it was unable to distinguish the similar chemical natures of the papyrus paper and ink.  However, this led to testing with XPCT.  This was much more effective because, unlike XCT, this method scans by detecting for refractions.  In other words, the ink markings on the scrolls are raised up and this distinction allows for the XPCT scan to take images of these markings.  This new successful method of scanning has produced images that let the researchers view the letters and begin to read the scrolls.  Unfortunately, they cannot read full sentences yet because, due to the rolled up nature of the scrolls, the images depict letters that are all stacked upon one another.  One of the scientists, Brent Seales, is creating a computer program that will allow his colleagues to read the scrolls layer by layer so that they can read full lines of writing.  Soon, this new use of X-rays will prove extremely useful in learning about human history.

"This attempt opens up new opportunities to read many [scrolls], which are still rolled up, this enhancing our knowledge of Ancient Greek literature and philosophy." - Mocella, Brun, Ferrero, & Delattre

Can you remember the historical texts you read when you were in school?  Homer's epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey?  Sophocles' Antigone?  What if one day you were to turn on the news and hear that these stories are incorrect or were translated poorly?  By using XPCT technology to read the unopened, preserved scrolls from antiquity, it is possible that these classic stories will be changed, and that new ones will be added to the collection.  Not only will these scrolls provide new texts, but also the original texts of stories we have already read.  Plus, cultures that were believed to have been lost due to disasters, like that of Pompeii, could be saved by reading documents that cannot be opened safely.  The future implications of this use of technology are limitless, and it will impact the science world as well as our lives because learning about our history as human beings is essential in truly knowing ourselves.

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