The recent survey doubles the count of known geoglyphs, bringing the total count to over 700, while showcasing how AI can be used in cultural heritage contexts.

By Alek Buttermann Researchers have uncovered 303 new geoglyphs in Peru’s Nazca Desert, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence (AI). This discovery, made by a team led by Japanese archaeologist Masato Sakai from Yamagata University,

A study has nearly doubled the number of known examples of these ancient artworks, which are etched into the ground.

A small team of archaeologists at Yamagata University, working with a colleague from Université Paris, and a pair of AI researchers from the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, used an AI model to find more geoglyphs on the floor of Peru's Nazca Desert.

The large number of new shapes, almost as many as those found during the entire last century, allows researchers to offer an explanation about their function

Japanese scientists have used artificial intelligence to uncover 303 new etchings in Peru's Nazca desert -- doubling the amount of known geoglyphs made some 2,000 years ago by a pre-Inca civilization.

The Nazca lines, massive etchings on the desert floor depicting animals, plants and imaginary beings, have fascinated scientists for decades.