TED Talks Daily: How AI is Decoding Ancient Scrolls

Episode: How AI is Decoding Ancient Scrolls | Julian Schilliger and Youssef Nader
Release Date: January 24, 2025
Host: Elise Hu

Introduction: Unveiling the Past with AI

In this compelling episode of TED Talks Daily, host Elise Hu introduces a groundbreaking endeavor where artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision converge to digitally unroll and decipher ancient scrolls buried by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago. The speakers, Julian Schilliger, a digital archaeologist, and Youssef Mohammed Nader, an AI researcher, delve into their innovative approach that not only preserves historical artifacts but also unlocks lost knowledge from antiquity.

The Historical Enigma: Scrolls Lost to Time

Yousef Mohammed Nader sets the stage by recounting the discovery of ancient scrolls in the Villa de Papiri, Herculaneum, during the excavation following Vesuvius's eruption. These scrolls, containing the philosophical musings of Philodemus of Gadara, were mutilated by pyroclastic flows, rendering them nearly inaccessible and unreadable.

“We always think about the potential of AI changing the future. But what about the potential of AI changing the past?” – Yousef Nader [04:05]

He highlights the significance of these scrolls, which discuss themes like music and pleasure—subjects that remain relevant today—and poses critical questions about the lost knowledge they may contain.

Challenges of Traditional Archaeology: Destructive Unrolling

Julian Schilliger elaborates on the traditional methods of handling these fragile scrolls, where the physical unrolling process often resulted in the destruction of the artifacts. The limited technological capabilities of the past left only the most damaged scrolls intact, preserving them in their original rolled state but making their contents inaccessible.

“People were racing to excavate more of these. What knowledge is included that is not known to us now?” – Yousef Nader [04:05]

Schilliger emphasizes the need for non-destructive techniques to reveal the content without causing further damage, setting the stage for the AI-driven solution.

The AI Revolution: Virtual Unrolling with Computer Vision

The conversation shifts to the innovative use of CT scan technology in digitizing the scrolls, spearheaded by Brent Seals from the University of Kentucky. This technology captures detailed 3D data of the scrolls, providing a digital blueprint for virtually unrolling them.

Julian Schilliger describes the inception of the Vesuvius Challenge, initiated by Silicon Valley investor Nat Friedman to encourage global collaboration in solving the virtual unrolling problem. The challenge offered both monetary incentives and eternal glory to the team that could crack the code.

“It opened a window into the past. What's next? Let's open this window. More AI will help us access information that was so far safely locked away.” – Julian Schilliger [15:29]

Schilliger and Nader joined forces through the challenge, bringing together their expertise in digital archaeology and AI to develop a sophisticated tool that could handle the complex task of virtual segmentation and unrolling.

Developing the Solution: Algorithmic Innovations and Collaboration

Yousef Nader details the technical hurdles faced in creating an accurate virtual unrolling process. The primary challenges included:

1. Segmentation: Identifying and isolating individual scroll segments within the 3D CT scans.
2. Ink Visibility: Detecting the carbon-based ink on papyrus, which is not visible in standard CT scans.

Through iterative algorithm development and leveraging community feedback within the Discord platform, Nader enhanced existing tools by incorporating advanced techniques like optical flow to improve the accuracy and speed of segmentation.

“The algorithms kept improving. The main trick was you needed to prevent the models from memorizing what the previous models have learned.” – Yousef Nader [11:05]

This collaborative refinement led to a 10,000-fold improvement in the algorithm's performance, enabling the team to virtually unroll the scrolls without physical intervention.

Revealing the Text: Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition

The next phase involved making the invisible ink visible. Yousef Nader explains how they trained a machine learning model to detect the faint carbon-based ink by analyzing small data cubes from the CT scans. This process required the model to differentiate between ink and papyrus based on subtle variations in the data.

“The first coherent word read from an unopened papyrus sheet.” – Yousef Nader [11:05]

Through multiple iterations and by creating a robust ground truth dataset, the team successfully enabled the model to recognize and reconstruct the hidden text. Their efforts culminated in the recovery of over 2,000 letters and 14 columns of text, marking a significant milestone in digital archaeology.

Achievements and Future Implications

The success of the Vesuvius Challenge team not only won them the grand prize but also made headlines worldwide, showcasing the immense potential of AI in historical research. Julian Schilliger reflects on the journey:

“AI helped us in large portions, writing better code and even being part in our algorithms. It opened a window into the past.” – Julian Schilliger [15:29]

Looking forward, the team envisions expanding this technology to explore other ancient artifacts and texts, potentially rewriting parts of history by making more hidden knowledge accessible.

Conclusion: Bridging Past and Future with AI

In closing, Julian Schilliger emphasizes the transformative power of AI in unlocking secrets of the past:

“We do not refrain from questioning nor understanding, and may it be evident to say true things as they appear.” – Julian Schilliger [15:29]

This project exemplifies how modern technology can restore and reveal historical treasures, ensuring that the wisdom of ancient civilizations continues to enlighten contemporary society.

Credits:
Produced and edited by Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Greene, Autumn Thompson, and Alejandra Salazar. Mixed by Christopher Faizy Bogan with additional support from EM Topner and Daniela Ballarazo.

Key Takeaways:

• AI and Computer Vision: Essential tools in modern archaeology for non-destructive exploration.
• Collaborative Innovation: Global challenges and open-source collaboration accelerate technological advancements.
• Preservation and Discovery: Virtual unrolling preserves ancient scrolls while uncovering lost knowledge.
• Future Applications: The success of this project paves the way for AI to explore and decode other historical artifacts.

Notable Quotes:

• “We always think about the potential of AI changing the future. But what about the potential of AI changing the past?” – Yousef Nader [04:05]
• “The algorithms kept improving. The main trick was you needed to prevent the models from memorizing what the previous models have learned.” – Yousef Nader [11:05]
• “AI helped us in large portions, writing better code and even being part in our algorithms. It opened a window into the past.” – Julian Schilliger [15:29]

This detailed exploration underscores the innovative fusion of AI and archaeology, highlighting how technology can breathe new life into ancient texts and expand our understanding of historical narratives.