In the town of Herculaneum near Pompeii 300 years ago ruins from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius were discovered and eventually a large villa was found containing hundreds of carbonized scrolls. Many attempts were made to read them but they all failed. Until now. New technology and a prize have started to unravel this ancient mystery.

The prize is the Vesuvius Challenge and they are already yielding results. You can read about the technology and the results at the link above. It is possibly to be involved in what has to be one of the most amazing pieces of archeology since the Dead Sea Scrolls.

What we saw was wonderful. Mosaics, murals, roads and almost intact buildings. Definitely worth the trip.