Lead-ink screening offers a new way to prioritize Herculaneum scrolls

Testing carbonized modern scrolls

According to the report, researchers wrote modern papyrus with inks containing different amounts of lead, carbonized the scrolls to resemble the ancient material, and scanned the models.

The tests supported using lead detection—including with a handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanner—to identify Herculaneum scrolls that could be easier to image. The approach is intended as a screening step, not as a reading of additional ancient scrolls.

Many carbonized Herculaneum scrolls are difficult to read through X-ray imaging because carbon-based ink and the papyrus beneath it have little contrast.

A research team has reportedly validated a way to screen for scrolls containing lead-based ink, which would produce a much stronger imaging signal and help prioritize candidates for digital unwrapping.

Finding promising candidates before decipherment

The method targets a central limitation in deciphering the rolled, fragile papyri: carbon ink on carbonized papyrus creates weak contrast in X-ray scans. If lead-bearing examples can be identified first, effort could be focused on scrolls with a stronger signal.