Modern technologies and artificial intelligence in archaeology and bioarchaeology (original) (raw)
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Artificial Intelligence In The Field Of Archaeology
Artificial intelligence is something the world has only just been starting to get a grasp on. The race for who can create the best model is taking place all around the globe. In archaeology, the usage of programs like these is tested every day and through many trials, usable solutions are slowly being born. Artificial intelligence is something the public knows mostly from movies, however, the reality is different from what is often shown. The things within our grasp are currently very different from the ones in fiction. In reality, we have only just begun to excavate the possibilities of what it can do. The purpose of this paper is to highlight what we currently can accomplish with artificial intelligence in both bone mark identification and satellite imagery. The idea is also to ascertain what the current limitations of artificial intelligence are in archaeology and how they might be improved.
Archaeology and computers: a long story in the making of modern archaeology
Archeologia e Calcolatori, 2019
The growing success, for more than fifty years, of the scientific contribution of computer applications and quantitative methods in archaeology may be now reviewed and analyzed from different technological and sociological points of view. This examination allows us to appreciate the material importance of such contributions and how the community of specialists in computational archaeology should play a major role in the future of 21st-century archaeology.
This volume brings together all the successful peer-reviewed papers that have been submitted for the proceedings of the 43rd conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology that took place in Siena (Italy) from March 31st to April 2nd 2015. The number of people who signed on for CAA 2015 really took us by surprise: 550 delegates registered for the conference, from many more places than we would ever have anticipated. Altogether, within the four days of the conference 280 papers were presented in 48 sections divided into ten macro topics, 113 posters, 7 roundtables and 12 workshops. That number, in itself, has prompted a thought or two. Above all it says to us that CAA is very much alive and kicking, that it is in robust good health, and that it remains a wholly relevant force in the scientific community, fully engaged with the questions of the day, and a continuing focal point for the profession. All of that speaks well for the motto of CAA 2015: KEEP THE REVOLUTION GOING Although the significance of our motto is obvious, we think it is worth some thoughts. Few would deny that in the past 30 years or so, digital technologies have profoundly revolutionised archaeology – in the office and laboratory, in the field and in the classroom. The progressive introduction of digital techniques in the archaeological process has of course led to a general increase in efficiency. But perhaps more importantly it has provided a spur to the discussion of methodology and through that has strongly influenced not only the way we go about things but also the outcomes that we have been able to achieve. The pioneering phase in the application of digital techniques in archaeological research has clearly been fruitful and today computer applications such as GIS, databases, remote sensing and spatial analysis as well as virtual and cyber archaeology are deeply embedded within our universities. This is all good, of course, but we must not assume that the task has been completed. An intrinsic revolutionary instinct towards technological development has been awakened. But it will only survive by virtue of the results that it brings about. Or using the words of our Chairman Prof Gary Lock: ‘Computers not only change the way we do things, but more importantly they change the way we think about what we do and why we do it’. The general thrust of this statement can be summed up and reinforced by recalling a quote from the philosopher Don Ihde, who has argued we should never forget that all technologies should be regarded as ‘cultural instruments’, which as well as strategies and methodologies implemented in our researches are also ‘non-neutral’. So KEEP THE REVOLUTION GOING is a motto that lays stress on the need to maintain innovation in archaeology through technological advances. But innovation must have at its root the fostering of critical thought and the framing of new archaeological questions. So there is much work still to be done, and fresh challenges to be faced in the months, years and decades ahead. One final thought. The date of this conference, and most of all the opening ceremony, has not come about by chance. The 30th of March, for the University of Siena and in particular for the human sciences and archaeology, represents a sad but enduring anniversary. Eight years ago on this day we lost a key figure in the Italian archaeological community of the last 50 years; a man who had an extraordinary influence on many aspects of medieval and archaeological studies. Not least we call to mind his role in the promotion and development of digital archaeology. Our thoughts and memories go therefore to our friend and mentor Professor Riccardo Francovich. He always inspired us to seek new horizons and without him we doubt that this conference would have found its way to Siena.
2012
The present volume consists of the peer-reviewed papers presented at the CAA2011 conference held in Beijing, China between April 12 and 16, 2011. The theme of this conference was "Revive the Past", which means retrieving our history and using it to help create a new civilization. It was a great honour to organize the conference where over 130 researchers made presentations; ten keynote speeches were given; and sixteen sessions covered a wide variety of topics: data acquisition and recording, conceptual modelling, data analysis, data management, digging with words, 3D models, visualizing heritage sites, digital spaces for archaeology, geophysics, GIS, graphics in archaeology, visualisation in archaeology, semantic technologies, spatial prediction, visualization and exhibition, and 3D object reconstruction. In addition, student papers and posters were presented. We held two successful As organizers, we want to thank the CAA Steering Committee for their great support and help. We would like to express our special thanks to Prof. Bernard Frischer for his consistent support and kind help. We express our deep gratitude to all participants and delegates for their contributions. We appreciate the generous support given by local institutions in Beijing, and we single out for special praise all of our volunteers for their hard work on behalf of the conference. CAA2011 has passed into history but we hope Beijing will remain in the hearts of all the participants, especially those from abroad. May the events, people, and friendships made at the conference long remain in our memory!
Recent trends in computer applications in archaeology
Journal of Archaeological Research, 1998
Publications of computer applications in archaeology are reviewed for the period between 1990 and 1996 inclusive. The influence of technological developments on research effort is noted, and particular areas of growth are described. One of the major trends during the review period has been the increase in use of geographical information systems (GIS), but these have still to fulfill their potential The increased uses of computers for education, communication, and electronic publication are also regarded as important growth areas.
Digital Methods and Remote Sensing in Archaeology Archaeology in the Age of Sensing
The 1990s will probably be remembered in the history archaeology as the age of GIS. At that time, the introduction of digital technology in archaeological research was in its infancy. Software and hardware had only a limited capacity to integrate the range and complexity of information involved in the archaeological process. In the following decade, however, the archaeological community became gradually aware of the need for a consistency of approach across the whole framework of archaeology, while rapid advances in software and hardware made it possible to envisage a significant renewal of the whole or large parts of the archaeological process. This was the age of the Digital Revolution. At the same time, remote sensing gained an increasing relevance and application within archaeology and throughout the scientific community. Up to this stage, the definition of remote sensing had focused on the analysis of data collected by sensors that were not in physical contact with the objects under investigation, using cameras, scanners, radar systems, etc., operating from spaceborne or airborne platforms. Now, a wider characterization began to take hold, treating remote sensing as any nondestructive approach to viewing the buried and nominally invisible evidence of past activity. Spaceborne and airborne sensors (now supple- mented by laser scanning) became joined by ground-based geophysical instruments and undersea remote sensing, as well as—for some archaeologists at least—by other noninvasive techniques such as surface collection or field-walking survey. Within this broader interpretation, any method that enables observation of the evidence on or beneath the surface of the earth, without impacting on the surviving stratigraphy, can legitimately be included within the ambit of remote sensing. This and other impulses have also resulted in a rapid growth in multidisciplinary working within and around archaeology and related cultural studies.
Reaching the Point of No Return: The Computational Revolution in Archaeology
Archaeologists generally agree that high-power computer technology constitutes the most efficient venue for addressing many issues in archaeological research. Digital techniques have become indispensable components of archaeological surveys, fieldwork, lab work, and communication between researchers. One of the greatest advantages of the digital approach is its ability to examine large assemblages of items using advanced statistical methods. Digital documentation has reached the point of no return in archaeological research, and reverting to traditional methods is highly improbable. However , digital data may also contain additional information that has yet to be extracted by computer analysis. In this arena, new computer algorithms can be triggered by research questions that cannot be addressed without digital models.
RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ARCHAEOLOGY
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND ANALYTICAL REVIEWS , 2019
Archaeology is the scientific study of human past. As the word scientific indicates not only the equipments used in the field of archaeology but also mentions the advancement in the technological development of Computer field. Computers have been used in the field of archaeology for many years and it has now become an essential widespread tool for archaeologists. As the use or operation of computers becomes increasingly necessary to the work of the archaeologist, which they require a clear understanding of the impact of information technology upon their discipline. This paper explains the influence and the development of computers on all aspects of archaeological research and interpretation, from survey, excavation and landscape to museums, education and communicating the past. The instigation of the computers can begin with the appraisal at all stages of archaeological research and data analysis. The main themes to materialize are the potential of computers as active agents for thought rather than as just passive tools, and the symbiotic relationship between the development of digital technologies and archaeological theory. Introduction Archaeology is the scientific study of humans past. As the word scientific indicates not only the equipments used in the field of archaeology but also mentions the advancement in the technological development of Computer field. Computers have been used in the field of archaeology for many years and it has now become an essential widespread tool for archaeologists. As the use or operation of computers becomes increasingly necessary to the work of the archaeologist, which they require a clear understanding of the impact of information technology upon their discipline. This paper explains the influence and the development of computers on all aspects of archaeological research and interpretation, from survey, excavation and landscape to museums, education and communicating the past. The instigation of the computers can begin with the appraisal at all stages of archaeological research and data analysis. The main themes to materialize are the potential of computers as active agents for thought rather than as just passive tools, and the symbiotic relationship between the development of digital technologies and archaeological theory.
Archaeology and Technology in the 21st Century
I limit this discussion to the use of scientific technologies in archaeology with which I have had some degree of at least indirect exposure. I also limit myself to methods pertinent to the archaeology of New England. These include X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Neutron Activation analyses for use in materials sourcing, thermoluminescence dating, the use of scanning electron microscopy in plant identification, and sub-bottom profiling and related methods used in the discovery of inundated archaeological landscapes. I wrap up with a short exposition regarding science and the social scientist.