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Scientists Decipher Burnt Scrolls Without Unrolling Them

Researchers have developed a method to read text from carbonized ancient scrolls without opening them, by creating and burning their own papyrus to study how writing glows under advanced imaging.

Watch scientists decipher burnt scrolls without unrolling them
Scientists Decipher Burnt Scrolls Without Unrolling Them
Photograph: the Israel Antiquities Authority 1993; photographer not named. · Public domain · rights
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Researchers have developed a method to read text from carbonized ancient scrolls without opening them, by creating and burning their own papyrus to study how writing glows under advanced imaging.