The Vesuvius Challenge Quiz

What was the total prize amount that Farritor and Nader received for the 'First Letters Prize'?

How much of the scroll did the team successfully decode?

Who is the philosopher attributed to the decoded passages?

What is the cash prize offered for decoding at least 90 percent of the scrolls?

Which themes did Philodemus explore in the decoded texts?

What significant event in 79 AD led to the preservation of the scrolls found in Herculaneum?

Which of the following statements best describes the initial condition of the Herculaneum scrolls when found?

What technology did Brent Seales develop to analyze the scrolls without unrolling them?

What was the primary goal of the Vesuvius Challenge initiated by Seales and his team?

What is the significance of the first word identified from the Herculaneum scrolls?

Which challenge did researchers face when mechanically unrolling the scrolls?

Which of the following best explains why deciphering the contents of the scrolls is complex?

What outcome did Seales anticipate from involving students in the Vesuvius Challenge?

The Vesuvius Challenge: Deciphering Ancient Scrolls

Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 AD buried Pompeii and Herculaneum, preserving ancient scrolls.
In 1752, researchers unearthed over 1,800 papyrus scrolls in a Herculaneum mansion.
The scrolls' interiors remained largely intact due to the lack of oxygen during the eruption.

Challenges in Unrolling and Deciphering

Early attempts at mechanically unrolling scrolls damaged them, leading to dust.
X-ray technology allowed non-invasive imaging of the scrolls, revealing letters and words, but ink was embedded.
AI was developed to identify letters and symbols, but initial efforts needed assistance.

The Vesuvius Challenge Initiated

Professor Brent Seales, using computer science, created an AI program and X-ray image database.
The "Vesuvius Challenge" aimed to engage students in decoding the scrolls.
Thousands of 3D X-ray images of scrolled papyri and fragments were released.
Prizes were offered for significant contributions to deciphering.

Initial Success: Deciphering the First Word

Luke Farritor (22), identified the Greek word for purple, "porphyras."
Youssef Nader also found the same word, sharing the "First Letters Prize" ($50,000).
Farritor received $40,000 and Nader received $10,000.

Further Progress and Team Collaboration

Farritor, Nader, and Julian Schillinger decoded 85 percent of characters in four passages, each containing 140 characters.
The trio read an additional 15 partial columns.
About 5 percent of the scroll was decoded.
The passages were of philosophical writings by Philodemus, discussing the relationship between abundance of goods and joy.

Future Goals and Larger Prize

Seales aims to decode a complete scroll by year-end 2024.
A $100,000 prize is offered to the first team deciphering 90% of all four scrolls.

Test your knowledge on the Vesuvius Challenge, which focuses on the ancient scrolls buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Learn about the discoveries, challenges in deciphering the scrolls, and the use of modern technology and AI in this fascinating archaeological endeavor.