New patterns of the past: how AI helps archaeologists decipher the meaning of lost cultures. From the article:

A new computational tool developed at the University of Haifa is changing how archaeologists document and analyze ancient ruins, using drone imagery and machine learning to reveal architectural patterns that cannot be identified from ground level.
“Sites that appear on the surface as scattered stones suddenly become coherent, organized spaces, and it saves a lot of research time,” Dr. Yitzchak Jaffe of the University of Haifa’s School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures, one of the study’s authors, told The Press Service of Israel. “And this system is unique in its implementation in the field of archaeology.”…

By integrating stone-level data with wall segmentation, the tool enables researchers to identify construction types, architectural styles, and spatial organization across entire settlements. This, the team says, opens new possibilities for analyzing how sites developed over time, how neighborhoods were planned, and how architectural choices shifted across periods.
The implications extend beyond documentation. With precise spatial data, archaeologists can identify areas of high research potential and plan excavations more strategically, reducing unnecessary digging and better preserving sensitive areas, the team said.
For related posts on archaeology, see here.