lacuna
noun (formal)

- an absent part, especially in a book or other piece of writing

- if you say that there is a lacuna in something such as a document or a person's argument, you mean that it does not deal with an important issue and is therefore not effective or convincing

- a lacuna (pl. lacunae or lacunas) is a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or musical work — such material suffering from gaps is said to be "lacunose" or "lacunulose"

Cambridge Dictionary / Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

—
WORD ORIGIN

“Lacuna” comes from Latin, where it originally meant "ditch”, “pit”. It entered English in the 17th century to refer to a gap, a blank space, or missing part, especially in a manuscript or text where material is missing or illegible.

By the early 17th century it entered English to mean "a blank space or missing part" and then extended to refer to any gap or missing piece, especially in knowledge or evidence.

The word evokes a sense of something that is missing, obscured, or overlooked in what is available to us. Calling attention to the lacunae in our knowledge underscores the incomplete nature of the existing evidence and hints at discoveries that may emerge in those blank spaces.

—
LACUNAE LINGER IN ASHEN SCROLLS

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the Roman town of Herculaneum under 65 feet of volcanic material. This tragic event perfectly preserved hundreds of papyrus scrolls, with their secrets locked away for millennia. Recent advances in technology have allowed researchers to virtually unwrap these scrolls and reveal lost ancient texts. However, significant gaps persist in our understanding.

BREACHED AFTER 2000 YEARS

In the 18th century, the first scrolls were physically unrolled, often destroying them. Brent Seales, a computer scientist, pioneered virtual unwrapping in the early 2000s. His method uses CT scans to image the rolled scrolls, then software virtually "unwraps" them, detecting ink without damage. This technique unlocked texts unseen for two millennia, like the Hebrew Book of Ecclesiastes. Startling discoveries emerged, but major lacunae remained.

SECRETS SLOWLY UNLOCKED

In recent years, machine learning has accelerated virtual unwrapping. In 2019, higher resolution CT scans were taken, and AI models were trained to identify ink patterns. In 2021, an ancient Greek competition was launched, challenging coders worldwide to improve the AI and reveal more legible text. Prizes are awarded for deciphered words and passages. This crowdsourcing has unlocked names, phrases, and paragraphs for the first time in centuries. Yet while emerging details tantalize, the vast majority of the scrolls resist interpretation.

A TREASURE TROVE AWAITS

Scholars estimate over 30 volumes may be extracted overall, spanning many eras and genres. Each word and fragment bridges some lacuna, lighting up Roman life and literature. If the AI improves sufficiently, revelations could be profound. But patience and persistence are required to reconstruct these fragile, painstakingly complex ancient texts. Though parts remain obscured, technology inches towards illuminating the vast cultural heritage within Herculaneum's scrolls. Their full richness still awaits discovery.

Adapted from: Will Henshall — “Inside the AI-Powered Race to Decode Ancient Roman Scrolls”  — TIME Magazine (21st October 2023)

—
SYNONYMS

blank (space), break, empty space, gap, hole, interruption, interstice, LACUNA, lull, missing link, something missing, space, stop, vacuity, vacancy, void, want, yawning gap

—
SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation, say something like:

“It’s very exciting that we can now fill historical LACUNAE with the help of machine learning.”

—
HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations.

Every month, I spend evening and weekend hours with my family researching and writing your daily OWAD. It remains FREE, AD-free, and ALIVE thanks to voluntary donations from appreciative readers.

If you aren’t already, please also consider supporting us - even the equivalent of a single cup of coffee a month will help us cover mailing, site hosting, and maintenance costs. Just head over to DonorBox:

https://donorbox.org/please-become-a-friend-of-owad-5-3

or bank transfer to Paul Smith
IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40
stating your first name and last name and “OWAD donation” as the ‘Verwendungszweck’

Thank you,
Paul