Researchers this week claimed to have found the final resting place of the Greek philosopher - a patch in the garden of his Athens Academy - after scanning an ancient papyrus scroll recovered from the library of a Herculaneum villa that was buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79.
The project belongs to a new wave of efforts to read, restore and translate ancient and even lost languages with cutting-edge technology. Armed with modern tools, many powered by artificial intelligence, scholars are reading the unreadable.
"It's going to have a huge impact," says Dr Kilian Fleischer, a papyrologist who worked on The History of the Academy, the scroll that revealed details of Plato's life. "There will be scrolls that will be read with these new techniques that contribute to our knowledge of antiquity, and to literature in general. This might be a second Renaissance."
The History of the Academy, written by the philosopher Philodemus, has been studied for many years. The researchers' goal was to produce a more comprehensive edition - no easy task when the scroll is in pieces from being unrolled and the papyrus is as black as the ink used on it. Substantial portions of text are faded, missing or illegible.
Prof Graziano Ranocchia, project leader at the University of Pisa, used hyperspectral imaging to illuminate the scroll fragments with broad-band infrared light. The images reveal letters that are invisible to the naked eye, giving scholars crucial clues to the missing words. Fleischer likens it to completing a crossword: sometimes it takes only a single letter to be confident of an answer.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 04, 2024 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 04, 2024 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Goodbye blues Pochettino out the door as Chelsea focus on McKenna
Chelsea are prepared to rival Brighton for the appointment of Ipswich's Kieran McKenna after reaching an agreement to part company with Mauricio Pochettino by mutual consent last night.
Wharton's call-up is a credit to flying Eagles
Midfielder only made his Premier League debut in February but has flourished under new Palace manager
Buttler embraces new World Cup chapter after pride was dented
Jos Buttler has admitted pride was dented by England's limp 50-over World Cup campaign last year, with the captain identifying the need for better communication and a more team-first mentality when his men defend their T20 title over the coming weeks.
Swift's UK tour could fuel fraud bonanza, experts warn
The clamour to secure tickets for Taylor Swift's sold-out UK shows is expected to fuel a summer fraud bonanza as new figures showed a \"staggering\" £1.2bn was stolen from unwitting consumers in 2023.
'Just the beginning' After Wagner, Russia looks to increase its influence in Africa
On 3 May, as top US officials confirmed the presence of Russian security forces at the same airbase as American troops in Niger, a popular Telegram channel reportedly run by Moscow-based officials posted a message with an audio clip of the Soviet-era rock band Nautilus Pompilius's 1985 cult song Goodbye America.
Widescale protests mark first day of new Taiwan president
Lai Ching-te's first day as president of Taiwan has been marked by large protests against the opposition over a controversial bill in parliament, foreshadowing a difficult first term for the leader, who lacks a legislative majority.
Georgia's foreign agents law 'could be ditched' if US agrees trade deal
A \"foreign agents\" law that has brought hundreds of thousands of people on to the streets of Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, could be dropped in return for a package of economic and security support from Washington, the ruling party hinted yesterday.
Iranians mourn Raisi as power struggle to succeed him gets under way
The body of the late Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, and the other victims of Sunday's helicopter crash have been taken by plane to the holy city of Qom and then to Tehran before a state ceremony today.
Cultural crossfire Artists boycott events over Gaza
Every May the UK music industry descends on Brighton for the Great Escape, the \"showcase\" event that has helped to launch the careers of stars including Stormzy, AlunaGeorge, Fat White Family and Anna Calvi.
UK arms sales Legal advice on Gaza risk to be published
The UK government is preparing to publish a summary of its controversial legal advice that there is no clear risk that British arms sold to Israel will lead to a serious breach of international humanitarian law (IHL).