Arabian Landscapes Imaging and Analytics AI Project (ALIA-AI Project)

An archaeologist in a hat standing in a desert landscape working on a notepad

The Arabian Landscapes Imaging and Analytics AI Project (ALIA-AI Project) is an ongoing reference collection that will serve as a platform for the development of two machine-learning models of use to academics, educators and conservators in the preservation and management of archaeological sites associated with the all the World Heritage sites along the ancient Incense Route.


Project Aims

  • Develop an unprecedented digital record of pottery that will be integrated into the ALIA-AI Project
  • Shed new light on the rise of the Nabataeans during the Persian and Classical periods (559 BCS - 363 CE)
  • Enlist AI and machine learning tools to contribute to the growing field of digital humanities
  • Integrate diverse and historically fragmented archaeological evidence, offering a model that can be applied to a variety of disciplines
  • Support future cultural heritage management efforts

Affiliated Researchers

amsiiatgwu [dot] edu (Andrew M. Smith II)
Director, Center for Ancient Arabian Studies
Associate Professor, Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
The George Washington University

wennerseatucmail [dot] uc [dot] edu (Sarah Wenner)
Associate Director, Center for Ancient Arabian Studies
Curatorial Fellow, Ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Art
Cincinnati Art Museum