. The Herculaneum papyri survived only because all the moisture was seared out of them—uncharred papyrus scrolls in non-desert climates have long since rotted away. In each scroll, the tightly wrapped layers of the fibrous pith of the papyrus plant are welded together, like a burrito left in the back seat of a car for two thousand years. But, because the sheets are so dry, when they are unfurled they risk crumbling into dust. Daniel Delattre, a distinguished French papyrologist, is using digital technology so the the papyri can be read once again.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/16/the-invisible-library
