Hydrological Algorithms Help to Uncover Sunken History
Archaeologists have long been interested in shipwrecks. These sites can tell us about ancient transportation and trading routes, technological innovations and cultural exchanges over thousands of years. Documenting shipwrecks can be a difficult task, however. With breakthroughs in remote sensing technology (specifically sonar and radar), researchers have been able to acquire highly resolved maps of ocean floors. Consequently, we can also locate cultural objects – like shipwrecks – sitting on the bottom of oceans, lakes and other bodies of water.
Machine learning, AI and other computerized methods of analysing imagery have made incredible strides possible in many research areas. Algorithms have been devised to locate everything from buildings, roads and people to more specific objects like aeroplanes, ships and animals. Archaeologists, too, have begun using AI to locate ancient settlements. Recent research shows how the use