RA3I - Rock Art Analysis with Artificial Intelligence

Redefining the Study and Comprehension of Prehistoric Art

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Exploring Humanity's Silent Narrative

A Technological Approach to Understanding Our Ancestors

Throughout human history, rock art has remained a complex and largely undeciphered form of communication. Our research project seeks to develop an innovative technological approach that can help archaeologists and researchers gain deeper insights into these prehistoric visual expressions.

With RA3I - Rock Art Analysis with Artificial Intelligence, we are developing an intelligent system designed to process and analyse images of rock art using advanced computational methods. By applying artificial intelligence techniques, we aim to create a model that can extract meaningful patterns and potentially reveal new insights into ancient human communication. The project focuses on developing methodologies that can transform the way researchers approach the analysis of prehistoric artworks.

Using archaeological collections that include the Tagus Valley, the Guadiana Valley and international sites such as Valcamonica, our research aims to explore new ways of processing and interpreting archaeological visual data. We want to develop computational tools that can support a more nuanced and comprehensive analysis of rock art images.

The technological approach we are exploring involves creating algorithms capable of:


1| Automatically process photographic
records of rock art

2| Identify and classify individual
pictographic elements

3| Support semantic interpretation
of archaeological imagery


Our research acknowledges the complexity of interpreting prehistoric art. We are not claiming to definitively decode these ancient communications, but rather to provide researchers with advanced computational tools that may offer new perspectives on human cognitive and cultural development. This project represents a collaborative effort to apply cutting-edge computational techniques to archaeological research, with the goal of expanding our understanding of human prehistoric communication. By carefully applying artificial intelligence methodologies, we hope to contribute to the broader field of archaeological interpretation. Every archaeological artifact represents a fragment of human experience – our work seeks to approach these fragments with rigorous scientific methodology and technological innovation.

Consortium Partners

Techframe - Sistemas de Informação, S.A

Techframe is a pioneering Portuguese technology company that transforms complex challenges into innovative solutions, through state of the art software and strategic technological consulting. At the forefront of digital innovation, the company bridges advanced computational techniques with practical, transformative applications across multiple sectors. In the RA3I project, Techframe serves as the consortium leader, orchestrating a sophisticated technological endeavor that pushes the boundaries of artificial intelligence in archaeological research. The company brings comprehensive expertise in AI and software development, responsible for the project's overall coordination, system architecture design, and the development of advanced image analysis algorithms. By creating computational models that can process and interpret rock art images, Techframe demonstrates how cutting-edge technology can unlock new dimensions of human historical understanding.

Website

Instituto Politécnico de Tomar (IPT)

The Polytechnic Institute of Tomar stands as a dynamic higher education institution committed to advancing scientific research and technological innovation. With a multidisciplinary approach that seamlessly integrates archaeology, art history, and computer science, IPT represents a critical nexus of academic expertise and technological exploration. Within the RA3I project, IPT plays a pivotal research and development role, contributing advanced computational methodologies that transform how we analyze archaeological visual data.
The institute's researchers develop sophisticated computational models for rock art image processing, focusing on complex techniques of image boundary identification, component segmentation, and semantic interpretation. Through technological surveillance and rigorous preliminary studies, IPT not only advances the project's scientific objectives but also creates opportunities for training emerging talents in the intersection of cultural heritage and advanced technologies.

Website

Instituto Terra e Memória (ITM)

The Instituto Terra e Memória is a specialized research institution dedicated to preserving and understanding archaeological heritage, with particular expertise in the rich archaeological landscapes of the Tagus and Guadiana Valleys. Committed to revealing the nuanced narratives of prehistoric visual communication, ITM brings deep scientific insight to the complex world of rock art research.
Central to the RA3I project, ITM provides critical scientific validation and research direction, ensuring that the AI system's outputs maintain the highest standards of archaeological authenticity. The institute's researchers contribute comprehensive knowledge of rock art sites, offering expert analysis in archaeological documentation, pictogram classification, and cultural context interpretation. Through extensive research and collaboration, ITM bridges traditional archaeological methods with innovative technological approaches, facilitating a deeper, more nuanced understanding of our prehistoric heritage for both scientific communities and the broader public.

Website

Founding Partners

Côa Parque Foundation - Mário Reis

Archaeologist at Côa Parque - Foundation and researcher of the LandCraft project. The Côa Parque Foundation for the Safeguarding and Development of the Côa Valley, was created in 2011 to manage the Côa Valley Archaeological Park and the Côa Museum. Its goals are the protection, conservation, research and promotion of the Côa Valley Rock Art and other heritage features in the region.
E-mail: marioreis@arte-coa.pt
Website: arte-coa.pt/en

Instituto de Investigación de la Cueva de Nerja - Luis Efrén Fernández

Luis Efrén Fernández, archaeologist Curator of the Nerja Cave, a spectacular series of caverns located near the town of Nerja, in the province of Málaga, Andalusia, Spain. 
E-mail: luisefrenfr@gmail.com
Website: cuevadenerja.es

FIRST-ART - Hipólito Collado Giraldo

Coordinator of the FIRST-ART project. Hipólito Collado Giraldo is a researcher at the Center for Geosciences and the Instituto da Terra e Memória of Mação, Portugal. Head of the Archaeology Section of the Junta de Extremadura, Mérida, Spain. The caves of Escoural and Maltravieso are the only caves with Palaeolithic rock art in the Southwest Peninsula. The FIRST-ART project intends to improve the knowledge of both caves taking into account their technical, stylistic and iconographic aspects through multidisciplinary research and the application of new analysis and documentation technologies using digital and 3D.
E-mail: hipolitocollado@gmail.com

ARDALESTUR - Pedro Cantalejo

Pedro Cantalejo, coordinator of the natural and historical heritage of the Guadalteba region. Since the early 1980s, he has been involved in the conservation and management of the prehistoric site of the Ardales Cave. 
E-mail: pedrocantalejo@gmail.com / info@ardalestur.es
Website: ardalestur.es

Municipality of Mação - Fernando Coimbra

Archaeologist in the Municipality of Mação.
E-mail: coimbra.rockart@yahoo.com

Université Joseph KI-ZERBO - Dr. Coulibaly Pon Jean-Baptiste

Chef du Département d'Histoire et Archéologie. Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, 03 BP7021 Ouagadougou - Burkina Faso.
Tel: (00226)70051901
E-mail: pon.coulibaly@ujkz.bf

Scotland’s Rock Art Project - Joana Valdez-Tullett

Scotland’s Rock Art Project (ScRAP) is the first major research project focusing on prehistoric rock art in Scotland. It is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and hosted by Historic Environment Scotland, in collaboration with Edinburgh University, and Glasgow School of Art.
Email (Joana Valdez-Tullett): jvaldeztullett@gmail.com

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RA3I - Rock Art Analysis with Artificial Intelligence is a project funded by the Compete2030 program, Portugal2030 and the European Union.

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