Utah Valley University (UVU) exhibited four original Herculaneum scrolls on campus as part of The Buried Library conference. The event gathered leading scholars from around the world to share and discuss the advanced imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) being used to digitally unroll scrolls that have been sealed for nearly 2,000 years. Exhibited publicly only once before in the United States, these rare artifacts offered a historic opportunity to encounter one of the ancient world’s most extraordinary libraries.
“Hosting this conference and exhibiting these remarkable Herculaneum scrolls at UVU is truly unprecedented — an extraordinary opportunity for our students, scholars, and community to witness history in a way that has rarely been possible anywhere in the world,” said Wioleta Fedeczko, UVU associate provost and academic chief of staff. “Not only do these texts offer invaluable insights into the ancient world, but the science behind virtually unrolling the scrolls also demonstrates the powerful and transformative potential of modern AI technologies.”
In 79 CE, Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the Roman towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii beneath volcanic ash and debris. The intense heat at Herculaneum carbonized and preserved hundreds of handwritten papyrus scrolls in the only surviving ancient library. Until now, they have remained unreadable, as any attempt to open the fragile scrolls would have destroyed them. Advanced imaging combined with AI began revealing the first words of the charred scrolls in 2023.
Conference presenters focused on the virtues and vices of AI; the intersection of papyrology, computer science, and volcanology; and what the scrolls are beginning to reveal about the ancient world. The rare interdisciplinary event connected classicists, archaeologists, librarians, computer scientists, imaging specialists, and papyrologists to share research and ideas. Presenters included leading papyrologists.
The conference was a collaborative effort between the UVU Office of the Provost, the Kahlert Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Science, the School of Arts, the Smith College of Engineering and Technology, the Center for the Study of Ethics, the UVU Integrated Studies Program, the Department of Philosophy and Humanities, and Brigham Young University’s College of Humanities.
For additional information about The Buried Library conference, please visit https://www.uvu.edu/philhum/herculaneum/.
