University of Leicester
Browse

The Arch-I-Scan Project: Artificial Intelligence and 3D Simulation for Developing New Approaches to Roman Foodways

Download (2.88 MB)
Version 2 2023-05-18, 12:50
Version 1 2023-05-03, 15:04
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 12:50 authored by D van Helden, E Mirkes, I Tyukin, Penelope AllisonPenelope Allison

This article presents the aims, technical processes, and initial results of the Arch-I-Scan Project, which is using artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance the collection of Roman ceramic data so that these data can contribute more effectively to improved understandings of Roman foodways. The project is developing a system for the automated identification of ceramic types (fabrics, forms and sizes), and potentially the automated collation of the resulting datasets, to facilitate more holistic recording of these big archaeological data, and avoiding the current time-consuming and costly specialist process for classifying these artefacts. The particular focus of the project is to develop datasets that are suitable for inter- and intra-site analyses of eating and drinking behaviours in the Roman world which require more comprehensive recording of these remains than the current sampling practices used to date sites or to investigate production and trade practices. The article includes a brief overview of approaches to material culture, particularly ceramics, for improving understandings of cultural patterns in past food-consumption practices. We then outline the project's rationale and planned approaches to harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning for artefact recording, specifically of Roman terra sigillata tablewares, and the processes used to develop a sufficiently large dataset to develop and test the AI system. The important aspect of this article is the changes made to these processes to mitigate the impact of the Covid pandemic on our ability to record large datasets of real ceramics. These changes involved the development of simulated datasets that substantially enhance our original real dataset and the accuracy of identification. Here we present our results to date, contextualised within the overall aims of the project and briefly discuss the steps we are taking to improve these.

History

Author affiliation

School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester

Version

  • VoR (Version of Record)

Published in

Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology

Volume

5

Issue

1

Pagination

78 - 95

Publisher

Ubiquity Press, Ltd.

eissn

2514-8362

Copyright date

2022

Available date

2023-05-03

Language

en

Usage metrics

    University of Leicester Publications

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Licence

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC