Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have revolutionized the field by allowing the interpretation of numerous ancient texts, leading to the generation of vast amounts of new data, as highlighted in a study published by Nature magazine.
Specialists are using new methods to interpret delicate historical documents, including the Herculaneum papyrus destroyed by Vesuvius in 79 AD, records of 27 Korean kings spanning from the 14th to 20th centuries, and the intricately inscribed Crete pans known as “Linear B”.
A technique was created to read Herculano’s papyrus by scanning the parchments using X-ray tomography and unfolding each layer into a flat image.
The AI is involved in the project to differentiate carbon-based paint, which cannot be detected in scans because it has a density similar to that of papyrus.
Three researchers received $700,000 for creating 16 legible text columns last year. Furthermore, an international competition revealed charred letters, words, and sentences from the texts.
“At that instant, you truly believe: ‘This is a moment happening now that will be significant for my field,’ explained Federica Nicolardi, a papyrologist at Federico II University in Naples.”
The technique allows access to texts that were previously unavailable, like those found in medieval book covers or wrapping Egyptian mummies.
Technology is aiding the field of archaeology.
The initial significant initiative to showcase the capabilities of AI was established at Oxford University in 2017. Its purpose was to decode Greek inscriptions discovered in Sicily that were incomplete in various sections.
The researchers have created a neural network named Ithaca, available online for free, that can fill in missing parts with 62% accuracy, surpassing the 25% accuracy of a human specialist.
When the neural network collaborates with researchers, accuracy increases to 72%.
Reading a vast historical archive that includes daily records of 27 Korean kings written in Hanja, an ancient Chinese character-based writing system, poses a challenge for artificial intelligence, alongside Herculano’s papyrus.
“According to Richard Ovenden, head of the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford, Artificial Intelligence is increasing the significance of papyrologists’ work.”