Unearth Ancient VoicesDiscover, Translate, andReimagine the Past
22,000+
Ancient Tablets
4,000
Years Old
50%
Untranslated
About ↓Team ↓Partners ↓
About the Initiative
The Deep Past Initiative deploys modern technologies towards the study of ancient societies
In a joint effort by experts in ancient history and machine learning, DPI pushes the limits of current AI capabilities by using ancient records as a test-case for machine learning. There is no harder script than cuneiform for a computer to decipher. Teaching them to read and translate this three-dimensional, multi-valent script used to write more than a dozen languages with conventions dependent on genre and rapidly evolving over its +3500-year history across the Middle East would mean that there is no other language or script in the world the technology can't master.
Reading cuneiform is the ultimate computational frontier.
discovering, deciphering and publishing ancient data in easily accessible formats for scholars as well as the general public
hosting scholars, collecting, and curating existing datasets aiding the study of the deep past
challenging coders through competitions to develop machine learning tools that decipher and read the largest written dataset surviving from the ancient world - clay tablets, inscribed in the world's first system of writing, the cuneiform script
assisting existing projects devoted to the exploration of the deep past with infrastructural and financial support for extraordinary, limited, one-time undertakings, where time is of essence, and for which ordinary means of backing are inaccessible.
In a joint effort by experts in ancient history and machine learning, DPI pushes the limits of current AI capabilities by using ancient records as a test-case for machine learning. There is no harder script than cuneiform for a computer to decipher. Teaching them to read and translate this three-dimensional, multi-valent script used to write more than a dozen languages with conventions dependent on genre and rapidly evolving over its +3500-year history across the Middle East would mean that there is no other language or script in the world the technology can't master.
Reading cuneiform is the ultimate computational frontier.
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Deep Past Challenge
Unlock the deep past of Mesopotamia
The Deep Past Challenge is a machine learning and language translation competition unlocking the 4,000-year-old trade records of Assyrian vendors.
Our Team
Meet the minds driving innovation at the intersection of ancient history and cutting-edge technology
Our diverse team of researchers, engineers, historians, and data scientists work together to unlock the mysteries of the ancient world. From cuneiform script analysis to machine learning algorithms, each team member brings unique expertise to our mission of making ancient knowledge accessible to modern scholarship and the public.
Bridging millennia through technology and human insight.
Our diverse team of researchers, engineers, historians, and data scientists work together to unlock the mysteries of the ancient world. From cuneiform script analysis to machine learning algorithms, each team member brings unique expertise to our mission of making ancient knowledge accessible to modern scholarship and the public.
Bridging millennia through technology and human insight.
7
Team Members
12+
Disciplines
Global
Reach
Our Partners
Collaborating with leading organizations to unlock the mysteries of the ancient world
Our partners share our vision of making ancient knowledge accessible through modern technology. Together, we're building bridges between past and present, combining expertise in machine learning, historical research, and global talent development.
Our partners share our vision of making ancient knowledge accessible through modern technology. Together, we're building bridges between past and present, combining expertise in machine learning, historical research, and global talent development.
