AI plays an active role as an archaeological assistant

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What if Indiana Jones could use artificial intelligence? With AI, Indy could quickly analyze ancient texts and decipher hieroglyphics and Cross-referencing historical data speeds up research and reduces time spent in dusty libraries.he could have worked more efficiently his efforts to save world.

Real archaeologists aren't saving the world., but they are They are trading trusted tools for AI. and, Along the way, they discover ancient trade routes and markets. and commercial system.

AI is transforming the study of ancient economies, revealing new insights into how ancient societies traded and made purchases and Managed their finances. From identifying promising excavation sites to analyzing vast amounts of artifacts to interpreting complex historical data, AI is changing the way archaeologists work. This technological change saves time and resources and enables discoveries that may not have been possible using traditional methods alone.

“AI is improving archaeology, by enabling data analysis, simulation, and visualization at a scale and speed previously impossible, and by providing endless variations and processing that doubles humans’ ability to understand and rethink the past. It's revolutionizing science.” Maurizio Forteprofessor of duke university He told PYMNTS that he studies AI and archeology. “In several recent articles, I defined a new AI idea about the past as a “multiverse.” Because it actually expands our ability to see the past in infinite forms and multiple combinations, rather than in a utopian “objective/single” perspective. . In this case, interpretive uncertainty is managed by different multilingual perspectives. AI actually creates new dimensions of space and time. ”

ancient supply chain

AI is also revolutionizing the study of ancient trade networks. by Analyze data from various sources such as pottery distribution, inscriptions, etc. and ancient transportation recordsAI can plan trade routes and economies. connection crossed continents. AI can analyze satellite imagery and geographic data to pinpoint potential locations for economic activity.

One example comes from the Roman Empire.Researchers at Stanford University used AI to analyze the distribution of amphorae, a type of container used to transport goods such as wine and olive oil. The AI ​​model revealed the complex trade networks connecting different regions of the empire, highlighting the complexity and scope of Roman commerce. This analysis provided new insights into how products are distributed. has been movedtraded and consumed over vast distances.

clay bookkeeping

researcher We used AI to analyze thousands of cuneiform tablets from Mesopotamia.clay tablet It was carved One of the earliest document formats. These tablets often contained records of transactions, loans, and sales. By training AI to recognize patterns in these documents, researchers uncovered details about the credit systems and financial products used by ancient Mesopotamians. this It contains usage of It represents a sophisticated economic system, including promissory notes and complex loan contracts.

decipher the unreadable

Another example of AI applications in archeology includes the interpretation of the scrolls from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The eruption covered the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and their famous libraries in deep ash. Unearthed by archaeologists centuries later, these scrolls were too fragile to be unfolded and read, and their contents could have been doomed to obscurity. Nevertheless, with the advent of AI, scholars can now collaborate with computer and his programmers to unlock the secrets of these ancient texts.

of vesuvius challenge is a contest that uses AI to decipher 2,000-year-old documents buried in volcanic ash. Challenge has started March 2023 and is funded by technology Including investors and entrepreneurs Nat Friedmanformer CEO of GitHubDaniel Gross and Elon Musk.

of winning team Towards 2023Youssef Nader from Germany, and Luke Farritor from the United States. and The winner of the award, Julian Siliger from Switzerland, was announced on February 5th. The trio, each with personal success in contests, worked together to train a machine learning algorithm that successfully decoded over 2,000 characters, beating the contest organizers' estimated success rate of less than 30. Ta. % if the number of characters is small.

Approximately 5% of the first scroll expanded Reading reveals an ancient and unique text that is not a copy of any known work. This philosophical manuscript focuses on the Epicurean ideal in which pleasure is considered the highest good.

AI deciphers ancient secrets

Forte explained that AI is having a major impact on remote sensing analysis and classification, archaeological site detection, and predictive modeling. in recent years.

“AI algorithms have been particularly successful in automatic pattern recognition of large numbers of archaeological sites through satellite and aerial photography, and in simulating ecosystems and large-scale social transformations across different societies,” he said.

Forte suggested that AI could serve as a guide for museum visitors and quickly classify archaeological artifacts. real time While excavating, we redefine traditional research and publishing methods.

“In short, we should expect a radical democratization of archaeological datasets, projects and publications, in a more collaborative and participatory manner, with unprecedented speed and accuracy,” he said. .

However, Forte also warned of the ethical risks associated with widespread adoption of AI in archeology.

“AI will indeed reconnect our society with a much better past and present, but this also comes with ethical risks that we should seriously consider,” he warned.

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