FAQ

What are the important dates?​

• March 15th, 2023: The Vesuvius Challenge is launched.

• October 12th, 2023: $60,000 First Letters Prize awarded for the first discovery of text within the scrolls. $200,000+ in other prizes meanwhile awarded throughout the year.

• February 5, 2024: $850,000 2023 Grand Prize awarded for reading four complete passages from inside a Herculaneum scroll. Stage 2 is underway, with 2024 Prizes now announced.

• March 16th, 2024, 4pm PT: Grand Prize celebration at the Getty Villa Museum in Los Angeles, California.

I would like to contribute something, but I don’t have the time to compete for the Grand Prize, what should I do?​

• Join our Discord to learn about current efforts and how you can pitch in.

• You can make smaller open source contributions, which would benefit the whole community. Everyone in the community will be grateful for your work, and you might even be able to win a prize - see those already awarded!

Can I share my progress on social media?​

Yes, in fact we encourage you to share your progress. Be sure to also post in our Discord, to get feedback from the community.

The only exception is that per the data agreement, you’re not allowed to publicly share material revelation of text (e.g. entire words) without our permission (including the associated code), or share the raw data. You are allowed to share these things on Discord, since everything uploaded on Discord falls under the same data agreement as our data server.

I’m outside the United States, can I participate and win prizes?​

Absolutely! As long as we can legally pay you (no US sanctions) you can win prizes.

Do I have to pay taxes on my prize earnings?​

This depends on the jurisdiction you live in, but generally yes, you do have to pay taxes. Consult your tax advisor.