3 April 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Artificial intelligence is Detecting New Archaeological Sites in the Arabian desert

A team of researchers at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi has developed a machine-learning algorithm to help them trawl vast tracts of the Rub al-Khali, or ‘Empty Quarter’— a desert spanning 250,000 square miles on the Arabian Peninsula.

Recently, artificial intelligence has emerged as a groundbreaking tool for uncovering hidden archeological treasures in the region, revolutionizing the field of desert archeology.

The desert is home to the site of Saruq Al-Hadid, which holds evidence of 5,000 years of human activity. The team used data from this site to train their algorithm to identify additional possible excavation sites in the vicinity.

Traditional ground surveys are challenging and expensive in the desert, and dune patterns and sandstorms have proven to be obstinate challenges for satellite imagery interpretation. The algorithm can analyze images obtained using synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a powerful radar system capable of penetrating sand and vegetation, allowing researchers to see hidden structures beneath the surface.

A view over the central sector of Saruq al-Hadid, showing the dark surface layer of copper slag that distinguishes the site from the surrounding desert landscape. Image Credit: Weeks et al., 2019
A view over the central sector of Saruq al-Hadid, showing the dark surface layer of copper slag that distinguishes the site from the surrounding desert landscape. Image Credit: Weeks et al., 2019

Satellite-borne SAR, which can cover a larger area than is feasible from the ground, was employed by the archaeologists. The team also used radar to perform a ground survey to replicate the satellite’s findings, thanks to funding from Dubai Culture, the government agency in charge of Saruq Al-Hadid. Both technologies are not new: machine learning has been gaining popularity in archaeology, and SAR imagery has been around since the 1980s.

 But the use of the two together is a novel application, says Diana Francis, an atmospheric scientist and one of the lead researchers on the project., and to her knowledge, is a first in archaeology.

Through the use of machine learning and deep learning techniques, the team has developed an algorithm that can automatically detect features in the landscape with an accuracy of within 50 cm and generate 3D models of the expected structure.

Now, Dubai Culture plans to excavate the newly identified areas — and Francis hopes the technique can uncover more buried archaeological treasures in the future.

A satellite view of the Saruq al-Hadid site showing the western zone that was under excavation (right) and the eastern zone which is not excavated yet. Khalifa University/Ben Romdhane et al., 2023
A satellite view of the Saruq al-Hadid site showing the western zone that was under excavation (right) and the eastern zone which is not excavated yet. Khalifa University/Ben Romdhane et al., 2023

If the project is successful, it will expand the use of artificial intelligence in archaeology. The Arabian Peninsula is not the only place where artificial intelligence is being used in archaeology. For instance, A.I. demonstrated its worldwide potential in archaeological exploration when it helped uncover four new Nazca petroglyphs in Peru.

Some experts have urged caution against “over-reliance” on the technology, however. Hugh Thomas, an archaeology lecturer at the University of Sydney, told CNN that there remains nothing better than a “trained archaeological eye” to detect sites.

DOI:10.3390/geosciences13060179

Cover Image Credit: Wikipedia Commons

Related Articles

A woman who had brain surgery 9500 years ago will be brought revived

12 September 2021

12 September 2021

A “revival” effort is underway on a woman’s skull unearthed in 1989 during archaeological digs at the Aşıklı Mound in...

A Scientific Surprise: Bering Land Bridge formed surprisingly late during last ice age

1 January 2023

1 January 2023

A new study shows that the Bering Land Bridge, the strip of land that once connected Asia to Alaska, emerged...

Researchers Found Evidence in Ethiopia of a Human Population that Survived the Eruption of the Toba Supervolcano 74,000 Years Ago

22 March 2024

22 March 2024

Researchers working in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula have uncovered evidence showing how Middle Stone...

Remains of first Islamic madrassa found in Turkey’s Harran

1 December 2021

1 December 2021

The remnants of a 12th-century madrassa (Islamic institution of higher instruction) have been discovered in the archaeological site of Harran,...

Farmer Found an Ice Age Cave Under His Field

30 March 2021

30 March 2021

A naturally formed cave was found near the town of Kraśnik in southeastern Poland, used by humans during the Ice...

‘4,200-year-old Zombie grave’ discovered in Germany

22 April 2024

22 April 2024

Archaeologists excavating in East Germany have found a 4,200-year-old grave near Oppin in Saxony-Anhalt containing the skeleton of a man...

1900 years old a rare mosaic was discovered in Durrës, Albania

6 November 2023

6 November 2023 1

In the port city of Durrës, on the Adriatic Sea in western Albania, a unique mosaic dating back 1900 years...

Anglo-Saxon monasteries were more resilient to Viking attacks than thought

31 January 2023

31 January 2023

Researchers from the University of Reading’s Department of Archaeology have found new evidence that Anglo-Saxon monastic communities were more resistant...

Famous  Roman Dictator Julius Caesar’s Perfume Recreated

2 August 2024

2 August 2024

The Romans are long regarded as heroes in the history of ancient civilizations because of the legacy they have left...

A Decorated Block with Decapitated Gaul Found for the First Time in Toul, France

22 July 2024

22 July 2024

A Corinthian-style carved block that was once part of the entablature of a monumental Gallo-Roman public building has been discovered...

An inscription with the name of the ancient city was found at the excavation site in Gordion, the capital of the Phrygians

8 August 2022

8 August 2022

An inscription bearing the name of the ancient city was found at the excavation site in Gordion, the capital of...

A unique discovery in the ancient city of Aphrodisias, the city famous for its sculptors in the Roman World, “As if he were a breathing God”

30 July 2024

30 July 2024

A marble ‘Zeus head’ was found in the ancient city of Aphrodisias, located within the borders of the Geyre neighborhood...

The Life of the Maya Ambassador Found in El Palmar was not Easy

18 March 2021

18 March 2021

El Palmar is a small plaza compound in Mexico near the borders of Belize and Guatemala. Archaeologists Kenichiro Tsukamoto and...

New Research Uncovers Earliest Evidence of Humans in Rainforests, Pushing Timeline Back 150,000 Years

3 March 2025

3 March 2025

The rainforests, as important biomes on earth, were considered uninhabited until recent history. New findings now show that humans lived...

A new study reveals the Achaemenid Kingdom paid its workers silver

21 September 2021

21 September 2021

A new study on inscribed clay tablets that were used in the treasury archives of the Achaemenid Empire revealed that...