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AI and ML in the Field of Archeology: Discovering History with Greater Accuracy

November, 19 2022

The history of human civilization is an extremely ancient one. The history of the planet earth itself goes back over four and a half billion years. Several mysteries are still there regarding the history of the earth and the human civilization. It is important for humans to understand the history. It gives them the insight into the way the earth as well as humans has evolved over the course of billions of years. This ensures that they can understand a pattern in it and find out how the future might unfold. However, to perform all these tasks, everyone has to depend on the people who find out various aspects of history that has become covered with the earth with time. They are the archeologists who bring out the truths of history from the depth of the earth. They excavate sites to study human history and find out the details of the days gone by.

Earlier, the tasks of the archeologists were extremely tough. Remember, long back they did not have the help of technology when they were engaged in their tasks of finding out historical information. This surely has changed significantly over the years. In fact, the advent of technology has made it easier for the archeologists to find out various things. In recent times, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are also used quite a bit in the field of archeology. And this is expected to make the deductions of the experts even more perfect.

AI in Archeology

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most important fields of technology in recent years. Therefore, it’s no wonder that AI is used across a large number of fields. The field of archeology is no different. The introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in archeology has changed archeology in quite a few ways. It has, in fact, made the process of archeology better and clearer than ever before.

What are the Uses of AI and ML in Archeology?

Archeologists can use AI and ML in their works in multiple ways. From analyzing their findings from the site to creating 3D mappings and more, AI and ML can do wonders in the field of archeology. For example, AI and ML based applications can do that same job that you earlier did. However, they can do it with more precision and accuracy.

Here’s a quick look at some of the ways in which AI and ML helps in the field of archeology.

Analyze the Archeological Findings

One of the most common uses of Artificial Intelligence in archeology is the analysis of the findings. Archeologists can use AI and ML to analyze the materials that are found from the archeological sites. This is going to help the archeologists get a more perfect idea about several things, such as how ancient the site is, the types of materials that the population of the site used, and so on. Thus, the recreation of a historical site of certain ages can become easier and also closer to the facts.

Identify Materials Lying Deep Inside the Earth

By the time an archeologist gains interest about a historical site, many of the materials of archeological value goes deep inside the earth.

So, how can the archeologists come to know about the existence of these materials?

This is where AI and ML come in handy. These technologies ensure that the archeologists can identify the pieces of ancient pottery, shipwrecks, and others even when they are placed deep inside the earth's surface.

Thus, when they have the insights about the archeological treasures that are available at a site, the archeologists can remain assured that the site they are excavating are going to be of immense historical value.

Use AI and ML with Satellite Images to Find Tombs

The use of laser in archeology is the result of the latest technological advancements. In addition to it, the archeologists use AI and ML as well as satellite images to find out the possible archeological sites. This is done especially for areas, where people hardly visit. For example, Google Earth images have been used a number of times to spot the tombs across the terrains of Eurasian steppes and various deserts.

Create 3D Mappings of the Archeological Site

There are various types of AI and ML based applications, which can help archeologists in their works. When the archeologists find a site, most of the places are usually covered under the earth. Therefore, it’s quite natural that the structures that the site had during its prime time are not going to remain anymore. In fact, if you look at the site, it might not be easy to understand what kinds of structures stood there earlier and where each of them was. This is where the archeologists can take the help of 3D mapping. This kind of mapping can provide the archeologists with the data and information, which is better than what they have with the 2D mappings of the archeological site.

The process of 3D mapping can come in really handy to ensure that the archeologists have an image of how the site looked like in its prime time. This 3D mapping is created by the applications with the use of AI and ML. This also involves 3D modeling. Thus, when you engage in 3D mapping of the archeological site, you can have a look at even the kinds of buildings, which stood there earlier. This can be done with the help of AI and ML by creating a 3D digital representation of the archeological site. Thus, it provides the team of archeologists with the idea of moving ahead with the excavation. They also have the idea of what they can find at the site.

Build Virtual Experience of the Archeological Artifacts

There have been several instances when properties of archeological importance have been damaged due to mishandling. This is not unexpected, as not everyone is able to understand the importance of every archeological artifact. Therefore, the best way to save these artifacts is to ensure that only the experts get the chance to handle them. However, this does not mean that common people won't have the chance to see the artifacts. The archeologists can get in touch with technological experts who can help them use AI and ML to create a virtual experience of the archeological artifacts for the interested viewers. This is going to ensure that the viewers experience the artifacts without the risk of causing any kind of damage to the invaluable materials.

Find Out About Shipwrecks

Shipwrecks had been quite common during the historical ages. And the ruins of many of the ships that faced the horrible luck remain below the waters even to this day. Archeologists are taking the help of AI and ML to find out the details about these shipwrecks. They are using AI-based underwater robots that can go deep inside the sea. These robots can click pictures and videos of the shipwrecks, analyze the sites, and find out the actual cause of the accidents.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence and machine learning help the archeologists to find out a pattern in their findings. The pattern can be used in future to find out about various other similar archeological sites and artifacts. The introduction of these technologies has surely helped to make the tasks of archeologists easier. Besides, these have brought about a touch of accuracy to the findings, which were not there even a few decades back.

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