Researcher Claims He Found Plato’s Tomb After Using AI to Decipher Ancient Herculaneum Scrolls

An Italian researcher has claimed to have found the long-lost burial site of the famous Greek philosopher Plato, who died around 348 BC.

Graziano Ranocchia used AI to decipher the Herculaneum Scrolls, the charred papyrus found buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, revealing new text pointing to an exact location in Athens.

The analysis revealed that Plato was buried in ‘The Academy’, a famous school founded by the philosopher in 387 BC, near the so-called Museion – a small building sacred to the Muses that no longer stands among the ruins.

Ranocchia and his team discovered 1,000 words, corresponding to 30 percent of the text, using the ‘bionic eye’ – and believe they will have fully analyzed the papyrus by 2026.

Using the ‘bionic eye’, the team discovered 1,000 words, corresponding to 30 percent of the text, and believe they will have fully analyzed the papyrus by 2026.

“Compared to previous editions, there is now an almost radically changed text, which implies a number of new and concrete facts about several academic philosophers,” Ranocchia said in a statement.

‘One of the most important news reports is that Plato was buried in the garden reserved for him (a private space intended for the Platonic school) of the Academy in Athens, near the so-called Museion or sacellum sacred to the Muses.

‘Until now it was only known that he was buried generically in the Academy.’

Plato, who died around 347 B.C. died, is perhaps the greatest of all Greek philosophers.

Together with his mentor Socrates and student Aristotle, he laid the foundations of Western philosophy and science.

The Academy was once located on the outskirts of Athens on a plot of land acquired by Plato in 387 BC and known as the first institution of higher learning.

The new analysis also revealed that Plato may have been sold into slavery in 399 BC after the death of Socrates or in 404 BC during the Spartan conquest of Aegina.

Until now it was believed that Plato had been sold into slavery in 387 BC during his stay in Sicily at the court of Dionysius I of Syracuse

Plato, who died around 347 B.C. died, is perhaps the greatest of all Greek philosophers

Ranocchia and his team discovered 30 percent more text in the Herculaneum papyri than in the previous 1991 edition.

The new analysis also revealed that Plato may have been sold into slavery in 399 BC after the death of Socrates or in 404 BC during the Spartan conquest of Aegina.

“Until now it was believed that Plato was sold into slavery in 387 BC during his stay in Sicily at the court of Dionysius I of Syracuse,” Ranocchia said.

‘In another passage, in a dialogue between characters, Plato expresses contempt for the musical and rhythmic abilities of a barbarian musician, originally from Thrace.’

Ranocchia and his team set up a laboratory at the Italian National Library in Naples years ago, making it easier to access the Herculaneum scrolls stored there.

Using a camera, they took hundreds of photos of the charred document, which were analyzed by an algorithm.

The researchers used infrared imaging, which allowed them to “see” through the front of the papyrus to the writing on the back, according to Science.org.

The charred scrolls resurfaced in 1752 in a villa near the Bay of Naples once thought to belong to Julius Caesar’s father-in-law, but their contents have remained a mystery because scientists found them too fragile to unfold .