AI Deciphers Ancient Papyrus Scrolls, Reveals Plato’s Burial Place

The recent breakthrough in the field of artificial intelligence has led to the discovery of the burial place of the famous Greek philosopher Plato. Using AI technology, researchers at the University of Pisa in Italy were able to decipher ancient papyrus scrolls found in Herculaneum, a town near Pompeii that was destroyed in AD 79 by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

The scrolls, which were too fragile to be touched by human hands, contained writings by Philodemus of Gadara, a philosopher who studied in Athens and later lived in Italy. The text revealed details about Plato, the academy he established, and his burial place. Historians had long believed that Plato was buried at the academy he founded, but the exact location was unknown until now.

Through the use of optical imaging, thermal imaging, and tomography, researchers were able to identify approximately 1,000 words, or about 30% of the text written by Philodemus. The researchers stated, “Among the most important news, we read that Plato was buried in the garden reserved for him of the Academy in Athens, near the Museion or sacellum sacred to the Muses. Until now it was only known that he was buried generically in the Academy.”

This discovery is not the first time that AI has been used to decipher ancient scrolls from the time of Mount Vesuvius’s eruption. Earlier this year, researchers successfully decoded a different scroll that was charred during the volcanic event at a villa once owned by Julius Caesar’s father-in-law.

The use of AI in historical research is opening up new possibilities for uncovering lost knowledge and shedding light on ancient mysteries. As technology continues to advance, we can expect more exciting discoveries to come to light in the future.