Topic: Research News
Scientists recreated an ancient mystery by burning papyrus scrolls to test a new method for reading hidden texts. They found that lead-based ink can be detected using X-rays, which could help unlock the secrets of the Herculaneum Library.
Scientists have been trying to read the contents of ancient papyrus scrolls for centuries. But these scrolls are fragile and easily damaged when unrolled. To solve this problem, Douglas Seiler, an affiliate of Berkeley SETI, came up with a creative idea.
Seiler obtained papyrus and reed pens from Egypt and traditional lampblack ink from Japan. He then paid high school students to write on the papyrus using passages from
Implications
Scientists recreated an ancient mystery by burning papyrus scrolls to test a new method for reading hidden texts. They found that lead-based ink can be detected using X-rays, which could help unlock the secrets of the Herculaneum Library.
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