Archaeologists use artificial intelligence (AI) to translate 5,000-year-old cuneiform tablets | HeritageDaily

A team of archaeologists and computer scientists have created an AI program that can translate ancient cuneiform tablets instantly using neural machine learning translations.

In a paper published in the journal PNAS Nexus, from the Oxford University Press, the researchers have applied the AI program to translate Akkadian texts with a high level of accuracy.

Akkadian is an ancient East Semitic language, was once spoken in various regions of ancient Mesopotamia, including Akkad, Assyria, Isin, Larsa, Babylonia, and possibly Dilmun.

The language is preserved on clay tablets dating back…