# Scientists crack the code on ancient Herculaneum scrolls

> Researchers made their own charred papyrus scrolls to find which ancient texts are easiest to read.
- Title: Scientists crack the code on ancient Herculaneum scrolls
- Summary: Researchers made their own charred papyrus scrolls to find which ancient texts are easiest to read. Lead-based ink makes ancient scrolls far easier to read…
- Keywords: herculaneum scrolls, vesuvius challenge, mount vesuvius, pompeii, papyrus, brent seales, university of kentucky, douglas seiler, berkeley, nist, x-ray imaging, digital unwrapping
- Source: Ars Technica — https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/why-researchers-made-their-own-model-herculaneum-scrolls
- Published: 2026-09-16T18:43:23+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: herculaneum scrolls, vesuvius challenge, mount vesuvius, pompeii, papyrus, brent seales, university of kentucky, douglas seiler, berkeley, nist, x-ray imaging, digital unwrapping
## Creating model scrolls for science
Researchers made their own papyrus scrolls and charred them to test which ancient Herculaneum scrolls contain lead-based ink.
## Mount Vesuvius buried a library
The 79 AD eruption destroyed Herculaneum, but hundreds of papyrus scrolls survived, charred into carbon by volcanic gas.
## A philosopher's personal collection
Over 600 scrolls were found in one room, believed to be the working library of Epicurean philosopher Philodemus.
## Virtual unrolling saves fragile texts
Brent Seales at the University of Kentucky developed software to digitally unroll scrolls too fragile to touch.
## Carbon ink creates a problem
The Herculaneum scrolls used carbon-based ink on charred papyrus, making X-ray imaging nearly impossible due to low contrast.
## Lead ink offers a solution
In 2016, scientists found lead in two scroll fragments, suggesting some scrolls might be written with lead-based ink.
## High schoolers inscribe test scrolls
Students wrote quotes from the Bible, Star Wars, and The Outer Limits on papyrus using inks with varying lead concentrations.
## Charring mimics the original disaster
The team carbonized their model scrolls in a high-temperature furnace to replicate the conditions at Herculaneum.
## Lead makes letters light up
X-ray scans of the charred models revealed text clearly. "The letters lit up like a Christmas tree," said Douglas Seiler.

> The letters lit up like a Christmas tree.
## The Vesuvius Challenge progresses
The project awarded $700,000 in 2024 for readable text. This year, one scroll was read in full, revealing a treatise on ethics.
## A simple scanner speeds the work
Even a handheld X-ray fluorescence scanner can identify which scrolls contain lead and are worth analyzing further.

> With lead in the ink, you would get a huge friggin' signature, so you really need to be looking for scrolls with lead in them.
## Key takeaway

Lead-based ink makes ancient scrolls far easier to read using X-ray imaging, and even a handheld scanner can identify the best candidates.