For decades, historians have grappled with thousands of ancient texts written in mysterious languages. They knew their origins but struggled to decipher the secrets behind their signs and symbols. What if we told you the game has changed? Artificial intelligence has unlocked dozens of these secrets with astonishing accuracy, and the revelations are staggering.
The En-Gedi Scroll
The En-Gedi Scroll, an ancient Hebrew parchment discovered in 1970 at En-Gedi, Israel, has captivated and puzzled historians and scholars for decades. Crafted from animal skin parchment and dating back approximately 1,500 years, it was stored inside the Holy Ark of a synagogue on the western shore of the Dead Sea. A devastating fire swept through the town, destroying much of the area, but the Holy Ark and its contents, including the scroll, miraculously survived. However, the intense heat carbonized the scroll, turning it into a fragile, charcoal-like tube that could not be unrolled or read without risking destruction. This posed a significant challenge: how could researchers access the text without causing irreparable damage? In 2015, a team of scientists devised a solution using advanced CT scans and specialized software to create a detailed virtual copy of the scroll. By 2016, their efforts paid off, revealing the scroll’s historical significance. Estimated to be 1,700–1,800 years old, it contained the first two chapters of the Book of Leviticus in raw Hebrew text—one of the earliest known copies of the Torah.
The Herculaneum Scrolls
The Herculaneum Scrolls are among the most remarkable and mysterious finds in ancient history. Discovered in the ruins of Herculaneum, a Roman town near Pompeii destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, these scrolls were buried under mud and volcanic material. In 1750, archaeologists uncovered them in a luxurious villa believed to belong to Julius Caesar’s father-in-law. Carbonized by the eruption’s heat, the scrolls became fragile, charred remnants but retained their form, unlike many ancient libraries that decomposed due to exposure. Artificial intelligence is now unlocking their secrets, allowing researchers to read passages undeciphered for nearly 2,000 years. Led by Professor Brent Seales at the University of Kentucky, a team developed AI models to analyze the scrolls non-destructively. Using advanced imaging techniques like computed tomography (similar to X-ray scans), the AI detects patterns, recognizes symbols, and connects characters previously unreadable by humans. A breakthrough came when a computer science student decoded the first word from one scroll: “purple.” This discovery, earning the student a $40,000 prize, sparked intrigue. Does “purple” signify royalty, wealth, or mockery, as in the biblical passage from the Gospel of Mark describing Jesus mocked in a purple robe? The full context remains a mystery, but researchers are optimistic more will be revealed.
Linear B
Jiaming Luo, who grew up in mainland China fascinated by forgotten languages, pondered why distinct Chinese languages were grouped as dialects. In 2015, as a doctoral student at MIT, he collaborated with his advisor, who shared his passion for ancient scripts. In 2019, Luo and his team achieved a breakthrough using machine learning to decipher ancient languages. They tested their algorithm on two already-deciphered scripts: Ugaritic, related to Hebrew, and Linear B, an early form of written Greek from the Bronze Age found on Crete. Linear B baffled scholars for nearly 60 years before its meaning was cracked. The team’s AI model translated 67.3% of Linear B’s words into modern Greek equivalents in just 2–3 hours—a feat that took human researchers decades. This demonstrated AI’s potential to accelerate decipherment dramatically.
The Nazca Lines
The Nazca Lines, geoglyphs stretching across Peru’s Nazca Plateau from 500 BCE to 500 CE, depict animals, plants, and humanoid figures, including one dubbed “the astronaut.” Discovered in 1927, their purpose remains debated. Conspiracy theorists suggest they were created by aliens as landing strips or extraterrestrial messages, given their size and precision. Scientists propose they were ceremonial pathways or offerings to gods, possibly designed to be seen from above. AI, specifically deep learning, is now aiding their study. Researchers at Yamagata University in Japan use AI to analyze satellite images and photographs, identifying patterns resembling geoglyphs. This is urgent, as natural erosion and climate change threaten these ancient designs. AI’s speed in detecting new geoglyphs ensures their preservation for future generations.
The Voynich Manuscript
The Voynich Manuscript, one of the world’s most perplexing mysteries, has baffled historians, linguists, and cryptographers for decades. Purchased in 1912 by Polish book dealer Wilfrid Voynich, this 240-page manuscript, now housed at Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, is written in an unknown language. Its delicate vellum pages feature odd illustrations of unknown plants, astronomical diagrams, and naked women, organized into six sections: botany, astronomy, biology, cosmology, medicine, and cooking. Some believe it contains scientific knowledge, others sorcery, or even a hoax. AI researchers at the University of Alberta, led by Professor Greg Kondrak and graduate student Bradley Hauer, used natural language processing to analyze the text. Comparing it to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 380 languages, they determined the manuscript is likely written in Hebrew, with over 80% of its words found in a Hebrew dictionary. However, the words didn’t form coherent sentences. With help from Hebrew-speaking computer scientist Moshe Koppel and minor spelling corrections, Google Translate deciphered the first sentence as: “She made recommendations to the priest, man of the house, and me and people.” Though unusual, this is a step toward unraveling the manuscript’s meaning.
Linear A
Discovered in 1900 on Crete, Linear A, used by the Minoan civilization around 1800 BCE, remains undeciphered despite over 1,400 tablets. AI achieved a breakthrough by identifying repeated words as place names on Crete, suggesting a connection to Linear B and ancient Greek. Researcher Arthur Evans continues using AI to translate Linear B texts, seeking matches with Linear A to unlock its secrets.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Discovered in 1947 near Qumran by the Dead Sea, the Dead Sea Scrolls are among the 20th century’s most significant archaeological finds. Written on papyrus, parchment, and animal skins, these fragmented texts, dating back 2,000 years, include some of the oldest known biblical writings. Scholars believe they were created by a Jewish sect, possibly the Essenes, between the 2nd century BCE and 2nd century CE. In 2020, researchers from Israel, Sweden, and the United States used AI to analyze ancient DNA from the parchment, identifying the animals used, aiding in understanding their origins.
Cuneiform
Cuneiform, developed over 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, is one of the earliest writing systems, capturing the life, culture, and history of civilizations like Akkad, Assyria, and Babylonia. With an estimated 500,000 tablets discovered, 90% remain untranslated due to the time-intensive process. An AI project led by P. Peron translated 69,000 administrative records from the 21st century BCE. Using 4,000 digitized records, AI algorithms transliterated cuneiform symbols into the modern alphabet, translating texts like “11 nanny goats for the kitchen on the 15th day.” This efficiency allows rapid translation of thousands of tablets.
The Archimedes Palimpsest
The Archimedes Palimpsest, linked to the Greek mathematician Archimedes, is the only surviving manuscript of his three known works. Auctioned in 1998 at Christie’s and entrusted to the Walters Art Museum, it was unreadable due to faint text and stains. Since 2000, researchers from the Rochester Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University used multispectral imaging, combining ultraviolet and natural light to reveal 80% of the text. Overpainting from the 20th century obscured some sections, but AI-driven X-ray fluorescence at Stanford’s Linear Accelerator Center is uncovering hidden ink traces.
Chinese Oracle Bones
Over a century ago, farmers near China’s Yellow River found bone fragments with strange symbols, now known as Oracle Bones. Used 3,000 years ago during the Shang Dynasty for divination, these bones, made from ox shoulder blades or turtle shells, bear the earliest Chinese writing. Heated to crack, their patterns answered questions about prayers, military strategies, or harvests. Their fragility and scattered locations made study difficult, with only 1,000 of 4,000 characters deciphered. In Beijing, AI analyzed 181,134 inscription rubbings across 100 databases in one week, matching duplicates and discovering 300 new pairs, accelerating preservation efforts.
While many ancient scripts have been partially decoded, their full meanings remain elusive. AI is revolutionizing this field, and researchers worldwide are eager to uncover more hidden treasures. What mysteries will be revealed next? Share your thoughts in the comments and suggest other ancient mysteries to explore!
