AI can now read ancient Latin inscriptions
Aeneas, a new AI from Google DeepMind and the University of Nottingham, is helping researchers decode ancient Roman inscriptions.
Trained on over 175,000 examples from as far back as the 7th century BC up to the 8th century AD, it can date texts within about 13 years and suggest likely geographical origins.
AI guesses missing characters
Aeneas shines at guessing missing characters in broken or incomplete inscriptions—something that often stumps experts.
This means more lost history can finally be pieced together.
Aeneas links distant related inscriptions, revealing patterns
The AI also links related inscriptions found in distant places like Germany and Bulgaria, revealing patterns like Roman army movements.
When tested with historians, using Aeneas sped up research and was helpful in almost every case.
Saliency maps show how AI reached conclusions
Aeneas highlights which parts of a text influenced its decisions using "saliency maps," so historians can see how it reached its conclusions.
While not perfect at filling every gap, it represents a major leap forward for the study of ancient Latin inscriptions.