ArchAIDE 1.0.2

The ArchAIDE App serves as a sophisticated tool for the automatic recognition of archaeological potsherds, derived from the ArchAIDE project—an initiative supported by a consortium of European universities and small to medium enterprises, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program under grant agreement No. 693548.

This innovative app, designed for both tablets and smartphones, aims to enhance the efficiency of pottery identification processes, thereby making critical knowledge readily accessible to archaeologists in diverse field settings. The ArchAIDE App employs intelligent agents to assist users in identifying the decoration class or form type of pottery sherds through images captured with mobile device cameras. The classification is grounded in a Reference Database that has been developed as part of the ArchAIDE project.

While anonymous users do not have the capability to store sherds locally or on the ArchAIDE Server, free registration offers a suite of functionalities that facilitate pottery documentation. Upon registration, users can contribute to enriching ArchAIDE's collections by adding new archaeological ceramic classes, thus fostering a broad collaborative archaeological network. For further inquiries, interested parties may contact [email protected].

Recognizing a potsherd with the ArchAIDE App follows a straightforward process:

1. Capture a photo using a mobile device.
2. Submit the photo to the system.
3. Await results for a few seconds.
4. Select the most appropriate option.
5. Save and archive it within your assemblage.
6. Share information with the community.

The ArchAIDE system currently offers recognition tools for Roman Amphorae, Terra Sigillata Italica, Terra Sigillata Hispanica, and Majolica of Montelupo. This platform simplifies archaeologists' workflows by providing access to digital references, enabling team collaboration, and facilitating global information sharing in the archaeological community.

The functionalities available to users include:

1. ArchAIDE Knowledge Base: A comprehensive collection of search and retrieval tools for accessing reference data related to types, decorations, and stamps. Currently supported categories include Roman Amphorae and various forms of Roman Terra Sigillata.
2. Decoration Recognition Process:
   • Select an image
   • Utilize manipulation tools on the image
   • Isolate the sherd within the image
   • Assess the results
   • Save results for logged-in users if satisfactory
   • Manually classify through visual comparison
3. Shape Recognition Process:
   • Select and manipulate an image
   • Define scale factors
   • Extract external and internal profiles
   • Evaluate outcomes
   • Optional manual classification
   • Store information for authenticated users
4. Stamp Classification Process: A dedicated search engine for stamp identification.

Authenticated users benefit from additional features:

• The ability to collect and store data within the app organized by specific assemblages linked to various sites. Each registered user can create at least one site (e.g., "Default site") encompassing at least one predefined assemblage (e.g., "Uncategorised"). Contextual information is necessary for storing sherds.
• A seamless synchronization process for offline data occurs automatically when connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or mobile networks, easily accessible through a dedicated monitoring interface.