Researchers Test Handheld Scanner to Screen Ancient Scrolls for Analysis

Scientists have developed a new method for evaluating ancient, carbonized scrolls that could help prioritize which artifacts are worth subjecting to more extensive and costly imaging techniques, according to a report by Ars Technica.

The scrolls in question originate from Herculaneum, a Roman town buried and carbonized by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Because the scrolls are extremely fragile and their surfaces are blackened, researchers have spent years developing non-invasive techniques, including X-ray-based imaging and computational "virtual unwrapping," to recover text without physically opening the brittle artifacts.

According to the report, researchers built their own model scrolls to test and refine an approach that relies on a handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanner. The device measures the elemental composition of the ink and surrounding material, which can indicate whether text is present and potentially legible.

The report states that the researchers found the handheld scanner sufficient to determine which scrolls are the most promising candidates for further, more detailed analysis. This screening step could help teams working with collections of Herculaneum scrolls focus limited time and resources on the artifacts most likely to yield readable content.

Ars Technica did not specify further details of the study's methodology or findings beyond describing the use of the model scrolls and the handheld XRF scanning approach.