SPECIAL PROGRAMMING

April 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Entry: Some programs require tickets. See below for more details. | Location: Union Terminal

What nature destroyed, it also preserved.

Through 150 artifacts, POMPEII: The Exhibition tells the tale of a city hidden from view and forgotten for centuries.

Special Programming

STEM LAB ACTIVITY

Reading the Past

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | STEM Lab

Discover the science behind revealing hidden text and ​see what it takes to read ancient scrolls without unwrapping them.

When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: STEM Lab

Entry: Free for Members or included with Museum Admission.

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Promotional Partner: The Mercantile Library

INSIGHTS LECTURE

How We Did It: Reading Herculaneum Scrolls Without Opening Them

2:30 to 3:30 p.m. | Reakirt Auditorium

Herculaneum was a thriving city that, like nearby Pompeii, was buried by ash during the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E. Centuries later, archaeologists uncovered a library there in 1750. Within it they found papyrus scrolls that had been carbonized by the heat of the volcanic eruption, but too brittle to unroll. Attempts to do so over the years have resulted in the scrolls crumbling into pieces. However, Dr. Brent Seales, a computer science professor at the University of Kentucky, and his team have pioneered a way to use new technology to virtually unroll the ancient scrolls and reveal their hidden text.

Join us as Dr. Seales shares about the science used to overcome the challenges in this fascinating work. And learn about what has been uncovered so far!

Speaker: Dr. Brent Seales, University of Kentucky

When: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Where: Reakirt Auditorium

Entry: Free. Reserve your seat for this free in-person lecture online or by calling (513) 287-7001.

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Promotional Partner: The Mercantile Library

GALLERY TALK

The Herculaneum Scrolls

4 to 5 p.m. | Westheimer Exhibits Hall

In this media-rich, object-based immersive experience, discover the bustling commercial port and strategic military and trading center that was Pompeii. Authentic artifacts from Pompeii recreate a sense of this world as you discover how its people lived, loved, worked, worshipped and found entertainment at the height of the Roman Empire.

Dr. Seales and his team will be in POMPEII: The Exhibition, informally sharing more about their work on the Herculaneum Scrolls in the gallery.

Speaker: Dr. Brent Seales, University of Kentucky

When: 4 to 5 p.m.

Where: Westheimer Exhibits Hall

Entry: Exhibition ticket required. Standard ticket rates apply. Skip the line and enter any time with a VIP ticket for just $5 more!

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Promotional Partner: The Mercantile Library

Resurrecting an ancient library from the ashes of a volcano.

Professional and amateurs researchers, historians and computer scientists from around the world are helping us not just read a few passages but entire scrolls from the ancient city of Herculaneum. In the process, we're getting the most complete look yet at life in the ancient Roman Empire, and beyond. The Vesuvius Challenge is a machine learning and computer vision competition that in 2023 cracked the riddle of the Herculaneum Papyri and awarded over $1 million in prizes.

Learn the latest discoveries at scrollprize.org.