Thanks to recent high-profile scandals in the news, many of us are already familiar with the present state of affairs involving the collections of artifacts with writing from the ancient Near East. By applying computational tools for analyzing and 3D scanning collections of cuneiform tablets, we can better utilize these collections to address the endless cycle of the destruction of our cultural heritage in this region. By sharing concrete examples of how new computational methods can be used to restore the missing context of ancient archives, I hope to address the most pressing issues regarding the preservation of our cultural heritage, as it continues to be pulled from the ground through illicit looting and illegal excavations.
Video footage will be added in the future.