Alessandro Sebastiani and Laura Morabito*
Fifty years after computational technology first began to transform the world of archaeology, the potential for technological innovation in the field has never been more significant. From increasingly intuitive data management systems to mobile GIS, to robotics and artificial intelligence, tech is rapidly transforming how archaeologists conduct their work. But technology is only as useful as the value it provides—and archaeologists today are increasingly looking to ensure that applications of technology in the field are meaningful, valuable, and constructive.
At the first-annual AlUla World Archaeology Summit, hosted in AlUla, Saudi Arabia in September 2023, hundreds of interdisciplinary experts gathered to discuss the present and future state of the field—with a considerable focus on how technology can be leveraged to create a field that is more inclusive, more diverse, and more accessible to communities around the world.
Technology as a of Contextualising Archaeology for a Wider Audience
Communicating archaeological inquiries and findings to a broader audience is vital: greater interest in the field means greater investments in exploring and preserving heritage. However, it may be easier for mass audiences to connect with archaeological data if it is communicated via more engaging, tangible, and relatable content. Modern advancements in technology are offering up myriad possibilities for translating and contextualising archaeological work, allowing those in the field to connect with both local communities and global audiences more effectively.
3D reconstruction is one example of how archaeologists can use technology to provide audiences with tangible and immersive connections to heritage, allowing people to visualise relics, cultures, and sites from the past more easily. In Hegra, Saudi Arabia, for example, experts have used advanced 3D modelling to create a visual reconstruction of a Nabataean woman whose remains were unearthed in 2015. Today, this woman from the past, who experts have named Hinat, is helping provide the public with a more tangible, human connection to this ancient site and civilisation.
Tools like virtual and augmented reality are adding even more opportunities to bring archaeological heritage to life and provide immersive experiences to people who would otherwise lack access to these sites and relics. During the World Archaeology Summit, Multimedia Producer Sparsh Ahuja shared a story of how VR is being used to allow survivors of the India-Pakistan partition to revisit their ancestral homes virtually. In addition to enabling diaspora communities to reconnect with their past, this project also allowed younger generations to gain a deeper connection to their heritage.
Of course, we would be remiss to discuss tech applications in archaeology without talking about the most significant buzz in the tech world today: artificial intelligence. While AI is still somewhat in its infancy, archaeologists are already looking at ways to leverage it meaningfully.
Through AI-powered image generation, for example, experts can enhance the process of traditional 3D reconstruction, requiring considerably less time and effort—and allowing them to create a robust portfolio of visual assets. And AI can also add new layers to these assets: in the case of Hegra’s Hinat, experts are currently harnessing the power of AI to create an interactive chatbot—allowing the public to engage with the past like never before.
Technology as a Means of Democratising Archaeology—and Protecting Heritage
Beyond translating archaeological data and information to wider audiences, technological innovations and applications are also helping bring more diverse and representative voices into the field, allowing archaeologists to gain vital new perspectives on heritage sites and assets.
One of the most critical ways that archaeologists are enhancing accessibility in the field is by making archaeological data more widely and freely available. Open access to data allows us to rethink outdated assumptions and narratives, improving our understanding of both the past and present. While democratising access to data comes with its own ethical dilemmas—such as the fact that access to technology itself is plagued by socioeconomic imbalances, or that making data public increases the potential for looting and pillaging of heritage sites—most experts seem to agree that the benefits outweigh the risks.
Open data is also playing a compelling role in helping preserve at-risk heritage sites. An example of this is the establishment of the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA) project, aimed at helping to protect endangered archaeology across the region.
Through remote sensing—collecting images via freely available satellite imagery, remote sensing tools, and open-source databases—archaeologists can rapidly record and assess the status of the region’s archaeological landscape. National and international heritage professionals then use this data to take action in preserving and protecting the most vulnerable heritage sites. The project additionally works to train locals to use these tools and resources to serve as custodians of the heritage surrounding them.
Along with protecting archaeological sites around the world, technology is also helping us revive heritage that has been the victim of ideological destruction. In Afghanistan, 3D laser projection was used to breathe new life into the Buddhas of Bamiyan, which were decimated by the Taliban in 2001; and after the Islamic State destroyed several historical monuments in Palmyra, Syria, Creative Commons launched the New Palmyra Project, inviting the public to contribute their photos of the site to generate 3D models of the destroyed architecture and structures.
The goal, of course, is to prevent as much destruction as possible—to preserve as much of our collective heritage as possible, and to ensure the resilience of past memories when prevention and preservation are not possible. Today, those operating in the archaeological field understand the increasing need to raise awareness and create widespread interest in the world’s cultural heritage as a unifying factor for celebrating cultural diversity.
Technology should ultimately serve as a means of helping communities around the world to take ownership of their past, and to connect them in a virtuous network of custodianship that can help understand the present and shape a more sustainable future.
*Dr. Alessandro Sebastiani is an Associate Professor in Roman Archaeology at SUNY-Buffalo. His research mainly focuses on economic and settlement networks in the Imperial period. His interests are within the area of Roman and late antique Archaeology as well as the transformations of the countryside in the early Middle Ages. His recent monograph deals with the intricate relationship between Archaeology and Ideology in 20th-century Rome.
*Dr. Laura Morabito is the Cultural Heritage Designation and Zoning Senior Manager at the Royal Commission for AlUla. Laura’s current role focuses on the regulatory and policy-making aspects of heritage. Her previous role at the Commission was to plan and manage in-depth multi-scale archaeological surveys and research projects with national and international expert teams to expand understanding of AlUla’s history and prehistory.