Writing seen in PHerc. 306B, for the first time in 2000 years
Summary
The article reports on the Vesuvius Challenge’s read of PHerc. 306B, a 2000-year-old scroll, and the awarding of a First Letters Prize for recovering readable ink. It details the ink-detection pipeline, imaging methods, and collaborative effort behind deciphering the text, including machine learning models, data sources, and the significance of the read for philology and paleography.