X-ray imaging reveals ancient writing on charred papyrus scrolls

Los Angeles Times : In AD 79 when Mount Vesuvius erupted, it destroyed several ancient Roman towns, including Herculaneum, which had a extensive library. The blast of heat from the volcano carbonized, but did not completely destroy, the library’s hundreds of handwritten papyrus scrolls. Discovered almost 300 years ago, the papyri are too damaged and fragile to be unrolled and read, although several attempts have been made. Because the ink used was carbon based, it has proven almost impossible to distinguish between it and the baked paper, even with such sophisticated techniques as x-ray computed tomography. Now Vito Mocella of the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems in Naples, Italy, and colleagues have tried a different technique , x-ray phase-contrast tomography, with which they have been able to make out a few words and letters by differentiating among phase shifts in the x-ray light as it passes through the different materials. The researchers hope the technique will open up new opportunities to read other ancient papyri and learn more about ancient Greek literature and philosophy.