A young man decodes the first word of the Vesuvius eruption scroll

The Vesuvius Challenge competition was launched in March 2023 with the aim of encouraging individuals and teams to develop new techniques for reading carbonized manuscripts excavated from Herculaneum (Italy).

These scrolls were found at Villa Babieri, an estate owned by a Roman statesman. The village was buried under ash and volcanic rocks when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

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Although well preserved, the manuscripts were charred, making them unreadable. Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub, and a team of scientists hope that new techniques and techniques can uncover the secrets hidden in these ancient documents.

• A prize of US$40,000 (R$203,100) in the “First Letters” category was awarded to Luc Varitor, a 21-year-old computer science student;
• He was able to decipher the word πορφυρας, which means “purple paint or fabrics.” An impressive achievement considering the complexity and antiquity of the manuscripts;
• Youssef Nader won the second prize of US$10,000 (R$50,790) by defining the same word more clearly;
• Casey Hanmer received a $10,000 prize after finding convincing evidence of ink on a manuscript;
• These developments made the grand prize of US$700,000 (R$3.55 million) more accessible.

In addition to rewarding those who can uncover the secrets of the past, the Vesuvius Challenge competition represents an important incentive for research and development of innovative techniques for reading ancient documents.

This initiative is expected to stimulate creativity among scientists and students around the world, allowing the discovery of many other precious information that is still hidden under the veil of time.

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