GoKawiilResearchers use X-ray detection of lead to read text in charred ancient scrolls
A research team created their own burned, rolled-up papyrus scrolls and found they could read the hidden text by using X-ray computed tomography and X-ray fluorescence to detect lead in the ink, rather than relying on carbon detection alone. The method allowed them to virtually unroll the scrolls and clearly view writing that previous X-ray CT techniques could not distinguish from the carbon-based papyrus itself. The findings are published in PLoS ONE.
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This approach could help scholars finally decipher thousands of scrolls recovered from Herculaneum, which were carbonized by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, provided those scrolls used lead-containing ink. Previous X-ray CT methods struggled because both papyrus and ink are carbon-based, making text nearly invisible; targeting a distinct element like lead offers a workaround. The technique's usefulness may depend on how common lead-based inks were among ancient scribes, which remains an open question.
- A team created burnt, rolled-up papyri to test a new scroll-reading method
- Detecting lead in ink via X-ray fluorescence let researchers virtually unroll and read charred scrolls
- The method could aid efforts to read Herculaneum scrolls, if their ink contains lead
Source: nature.com — Graham, 2026-09-23
Published there as: “Daily briefing: Read the text inside a charred, rolled-up scroll”
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