THE STORY BEHIND THE SATIRE · Berkeley, California / Herculaneum · Sep 26, 2026

Scientists burn replica scrolls so ancient books can stay closed and still be read

What happened

Researchers made replica papyrus scrolls with lampblack inks containing measured amounts of lead, carbonized them in low oxygen and scanned the sealed rolls with X-rays. The PLOS ONE study found that CT imaging could detect ink containing as little as 25 micrograms of lead per square centimeter and that lead could increase X-ray absorption by as much as 25-fold.

Why it matters

Hundreds of Herculaneum scrolls carbonized by Mount Vesuvius are too fragile to open physically. The experiment supplies a calibrated way to identify rolls whose metal-bearing ink may be especially readable by X-ray and to prioritize them for virtual unwrapping. It improves the search strategy; it does not mean every sealed scroll has already been decoded.

The Blappos angle

Verified facts end above. Archaeology has reached the stage where scientists carefully burn a new book to learn how not to open an old one. The best library card is now a CT scan.

Read the September 26 UC Berkeley research report ↗

Blappos is commentary. Artwork is illustration—not documentary photography—and the joke is not a substitute for the linked reporting. Check this story’s source ledger or read our sourcing, satire and corrections standard.