Automatic Archaeology: Bridging the Gap between Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and Archaeology

Abstract

This chapter describes how artificial intelligence can be applied in virtual heritage as a specific tool for automated archaeological inquiry. It demonstrates how artificial intelligence can make the process of “reverse engineering” in archaeology and thus bridge the gap between virtual reality and the archaeological discipline. The chapter first looks at the nature of archaeological problems before turning to the use of computers and robots in archaeology. It then analyzes the concept of the automatic archaeologist before concluding with a discussion of the “visualization” of archaeology.