PRESS EVENT – 25th JUNE 2026
Reading the Unreadable | Recovering Lost Ancient Texts from Herculaneum
Press Event of the International Conference supported by the Vesuvius Challenge
“The Eternal Library | The Herculaneum Papyri through the Centuries and in the Digital Future”
Thursday, 25th June 2026
The press event “Reading the Unreadable: Recovering Lost Ancient Texts from Herculaneum” will take place on the 25th of June 2026, from 9.30 am, in the Reading Room of the “Vittorio Emanuele III” National Library of Naples.
The event is part of the fourth day of the International Conference supported by the Vesuvius Challenge “The Eternal Library | The Herculaneum Papyri through the Centuries and the Digital Future“. Due to limited capacity, in-person attendance is reserved primarily for conference participants and accredited journalists. Anyone interested may participate via YouTube Livestream.
During the event, attendees will have a preview of the latest results from the Vesuvius Challenge, the open science effort that has enabled the virtual unwrapping of still-rolled Herculaneum scrolls. Founders, leaders, members, and stakeholders of the Vesuvius Challenge will participate in the discussion and be available to answer questions.
Below is the morning schedule.
9:30 Press Conference featuring founders, leaders, members and stakeholders of the Vesuvius Challenge
Institutional Greetings
Paola Passarelli | Direzione Generale Biblioteche e Istituti Culturali
Silvia Scipioni | Biblioteca Nazionale di Napoli “Vittorio Emanuele III”
11:30 Coffee break
Presiede Brent Seales | University of Kentucky
12:15 Sean Johnson | Vesuvius Challenge
Youssef Nader | Vesuvius Challenge
Resurrecting Ancient Scrolls: Advances in Ink Detection and Virtual Unwrapping
13:00 Lunch