Italian research team deciphers Papyrus
Confirms Plato’s private space in the garden of the Academy
The location of the tomb of ancient Greek philosopher Plato, which has been shrouded in mystery, has been revealed through artificial intelligence (AI).
According to the Italian daily newspaper La Stampa on the 23rd (local time), Professor Graziano Ranocchia, a papyrologist at the University of Pisa in Italy, announced the interim results of the Greek Schools’ research project conducted in collaboration with the National Research Council at the National Library of Naples. Professor Ranocchia revealed that upon deciphering the Herculaneum Scrolls, it was confirmed that Plato’s tomb is located in a private space within the garden of the Academy he founded in Athens, Greece. Until now, it was only known that Plato was buried in the Academy. The Herculaneum Scrolls refer to approximately 1,800 papyrus documents discovered in the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum, which vanished along with Pompeii due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
Professor Ranocchia conveyed that the exact location of Plato’s tomb was recorded in the historical text written by Philodemus, a philosopher and poet of Epicureanism who lived in Herculaneum. These documents were complicated to interpret as they were at risk of disintegrating into fine pieces when unrolled due to being burnt or blackened by volcanic ash.
AI solved the problem. The research team led by Professor Ranocchia used AI and discovered 1,000 new words, 30% more than the last deciphering attempt 30 years ago. This research began three years ago and is expected to be completed in 2026.