A new project by researchers will take a quarter of their lives to study over 80,000 Mesopotamian artifacts.

Over the next 16 years, a team of researchers will undertake an ambitious project aimed at preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of ancient Mesopotamia. The scholars plan to create a digital archive encompassing approximately 80,000 seals from the region, making this invaluable resource accessible to the public, writes Arkeonews.

The project, titled "KIŠIB: Digital Corpus of Ancient Seals and Impressions of Western Asia," is part of the Academy Program, a collaborative initiative involving eight German academies focused on natural and human sciences. The Joint Scientific Conference (GWK) has integrated these efforts into its broader framework.

The term "KIŠIB," which translates from Sumerian as "seal," refers to ancient seals and cylinder seals made from stone, clay, and other materials. These seals, which were commonly used in what is now Iraq and Syria between the 4th and 1st millennia BCE, represent one of the oldest known collections of imagery. Today, many of these artifacts are housed in museums and private collections worldwide, although their full significance remains largely unexplored by the general public.

This inter-academic project is led by Professor Eliza Rosenberger from the Free University of Berlin and Professor Adelheid Otto from the University of Munich. A team of specialists in archaeology, Near Eastern studies, digital humanities, and IT is set to begin work in 2025. The research will take place in centers located in Berlin and Munich and is expected to last for 16 years.

By creating a comprehensive digital archive of seals and their inscriptions, the team aims to illuminate aspects of ancient social, political, economic, religious, and artistic practices. This resource will shed light on the historical networks, ideological messages, and cultural dynamics that shaped the history of the region.

An important aspect of the KIŠIB project is its accessibility. For the first time, the archive will enable both researchers and the general public to delve into detailed images and inscriptions of these ancient artifacts. Data will be processed using advanced machine learning techniques to ensure accurate segmentation and annotation. The project also highlights international collaboration with curatorial institutions, digital development initiatives, and colleagues from Western Asian countries, who play a key role in its implementation.

By bridging the gap between academic research and public interest, this initiative aims to preserve and disseminate the cultural heritage of ancient Mesopotamia, ensuring its historical significance is widely understood and appreciated.

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