Gizmodo.com September 18, 2026 • 13:30

Scientists Say Lead in Ink Could Finally Crack Herculaneum's Burnt Scrolls—So They Baked a Fake One as a Test - Gizmodo

By Margherita Bassi

Scientists Say Lead in Ink Could Finally Crack Herculaneum's Burnt Scrolls—So They Baked a Fake One as a Test - Gizmodo

The Herculaneum scrolls were discovered in the 1700s. It's taken centuries for researchers to read one of them in its entirety.

How do you test a theory on how to decipher a priceless archaeological artifact? According to a team of researchers, you pay children to make fake versions of it.
A team of scientists has proposed a… [+3924 chars]

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