The Vesuvius Challenge, an initiative launched in March 2023, has borne its first fruits. The challenge was designed to encourage individuals and teams to pioneer new techniques for deciphering scrolls from Herculaneum, Italy, which have remained illegible for almost 2,000 years.
These scrolls were originally kept in the opulent Papyrus Villaowned by a Roman statesman, until they were buried under volcanic ash and rock during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, according to the study published in PLOS One.
Centuries later, during the 18th century, these scrolls and the library that surrounded them were unearthed. However, a twist of fate made the scrolls were “illegible”“, as they charred, defying conventional attempts to decode their contents.
This is where the Vesuvius Challenge comes into its own. Spearheaded by former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and a group of innovative scientists, the challenge is driven by the belief that creative technologies and unconventional methods can reveal the secrets hidden within these ancient scrolls.
According to the specialized site IFLSience, to attract those with a spirit of discovery, a generous grand prize of $700,000, along with several smaller prizes, was offered to anyone able to unravel the mysteries.
First word decoded: “Porphyras”
Attention now turns to the winners of the Vesuvius Challenge: the First Letters prize is awarded to Luke Farritor, a 21-year-old computer science student. Farritor managed to decode the word “πορφυρας,” which translates as “purple dye” or “purple-colored fabrics.”
Nat Friedman celebrated this monumental achievement, stating in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “Congratulations to the 21-year-old computer science student @LukeFarritorwho is the first person to see this writing in almost 2000 years. She has won the prize of $40,000 dollars. First Letters Award for this world-historical achievement.”
Youssef Nader, another determined contestant, did the same, identifying the same word with even greater clarity. His achievement earned him the second prize of $10,000.
These groundbreaking discoveries were made possible by the vital contributions of Casey Handmer, who detected substantial and compelling evidence of ink within an unopened, petrified scroll. Handmer was awarded the $10,000 First Ink Prize.
With these notable achievements, the coveted $700,000 Vesuvius Challenge Grand Prize remains up for grabs. As it attracts ambitious minds, the goal of decoding the enigmatic scrolls of history seems more attainable than ever.
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