What happens when an algorithm scrutins the millenary sand of the desert in search of signs of the past? What if the oldest secrets of humanity were hidden with the naked eye, waiting for non -human intelligence to reveal them? Once again, something that sounded very science fiction is not so much, it was now reality.
Archeology also seems to have entered its particular was artificial intelligence.
For centuries, archaeologists tirelessly walked hostile land, guided by incomplete intuitions, myths and maps. Now, the gaze has changed. ANDNot only does the human eye train, but also to machines and models. And the results are as impressive as disturbing: more than 300 new geoglyphs identified in Nazca in a matter of months.
The third era of archeology: from the algorithm hoe
Over time, archeology has gone through several technical revolutions. The first was purely artisanal, based on field explorationsmanual excavations and an almost romantic dependence on the fortuitous finding. The second, with the arrival of aerial photography, radiocarbon and laser scanning, allowed to establish 3D chronologies and reconstructions. Today, with the arrival of artificial intelligence, the countryside has entered a new dimension: The speed, scale and mass discovery.
In the case of Nazca, the team led by Professor Masato Sakai used models trained to recognize geoglyph patterns in satellite images. This technology allowed to discover more than 300 new figures in just six months. To compare, the previous figure, obtained in years of expeditions, barely reached 190.
The key is in algorithm training. The machines do not interpret; They recognize. That is why it is necessary to feed the systems with thousands of previous examplesadjust parameters and validate each finding manually. In fact, Sakai himself has confessed that of every 36 suggestions generated by AI, only one turned out to be a real geoglif. Even so, the qualitative leap is undeniable.
From the desert of Nazca to the hills of Europe: mapping the invisible
But the benefits of AI are not limited to the lines in the Peruvian desert. In Europe, for example, various projects are using automatic learning to detect castros —The consent fortified in hills – from drone images and Lidar data. These structures, often eroded by time or covered by vegetation, are revealed as geometric shadows only visible from air or through remote detection.
Thanks to these techniques, Celtic settlements have been identified in areas previously considered empty. Some European universities are developing models capable of crossing topographic data with historical records, reconstructing trade networks, migration patterns and the environmental impact of certain civilizations.
The value not only lies in finding the lost, but also in preventing what still exists. In regions marked by armed conflicts or natural disasters, AI allows us to investigate remotely, guaranteeing the continuity of archaeological studies that, otherwise, would be impossible.
From intuition to data: how the archaeologist’s role changes
Is artificial intelligence replacing archaeologists? The answer is no. But it is radically transforming its way of working. The field expert, accustomed to tracking signs in the field, must also know how to read maps generated by algorithmic modelsvalidate findings with scientific criteria and, in some cases, collaborate directly with programmers and data scientists.
Archeology is hybridizing. Field work remains indispensable, but is now complemented by massive data analysis, virtual environments and digital reconstructions. The 21st century archaeologist needs to handle both a compass and a database.
And while algorithms still require human validation, their ability to process gigantic information volumes makes them an indispensable tool to detect patterns, establish correlations and accelerate research work.
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