Grants and Contracts Details
Description
Using authentic materials from the national libraries in Naples and Paris, this project will apply
proven computerized techniques and innovate new technical approaches to reveal the writing
hidden in the most iconic collection of damaged humanities manuscripts--the scrolls from
Herculaneum. By applying our virtual unwrapping software and advanced machine learning
tools to non-invasive computed tomography scans of the materials, we plan to accomplish four
primary goals: (1) we will refine our computational pipeline, via a machine learning component,
that will adapt it to the unique materials found in Herculaneum manuscripts--carbon ink on
severely compressed papyrus; (2) we will employ this enhanced technique to create a born-digital
version of the text buried underneath layers of opened Herculaneum papyri; (3) we will
disseminate our results and make the software open source so that our tools can be applied to any
and all types of damaged cultural objects containing hidden text; and (4) we will develop new
metadata and other standards to address the unique provenance and scholarly usage issues that
these types of born-digital images create. This work will set the stage for the virtual unwrapping
and reading of the entire Herculaneum library, including intact scrolls.
Status | Finished |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 1/1/19 → 12/31/22 |
Funding
- National Endowment for the Humanities: $500,000.00
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