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Enterprise AI Analysis: Classifying polish in use-wear analysis with convolutional neural networks

Enterprise AI Analysis

Classifying Use-Wear Polish with AI: A New Frontier for Archaeological Analysis

Traditional methods for classifying use-wear polish on stone tools are subjective and prone to human error, hindering standardization in archaeological research. This study introduces a groundbreaking approach using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to automate and enhance the precision of polish classification, offering valuable insights into ancient technologies and human behavior.

Executive Impact: Revolutionizing Archaeological Data Analysis

Automating use-wear analysis with AI offers a pathway to unprecedented accuracy and efficiency in archaeological research. By moving beyond subjective interpretations, we can unlock deeper insights into ancient subsistence strategies, cultural transmission, and cognitive abilities, driving new discoveries and informing future scientific endeavors.

0% Peak F1-Score for Hide Classification
0% Peak F1-Score for 1000-Stroke Polish
0% Maximum Custom CNN Accuracy (20x Obj.)
0% ML Accuracy in Material Classification

Deep Analysis & Enterprise Applications

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Enterprise Process Flow

Data Acquisition & Organization
Data Preprocessing (Cleaning & Enhancement)
Image Division & Standardization
Dataset Splitting & Augmentation
Model Architecture & Development
Optimization & Evaluation
0.83 Highest F1-score for Hide Polish Classification
0.79 Median F1-score for Bone Polish Classification
0.74 Lowest F1-score for Wood Polish Classification
Key Attribute Custom CNN Pre-trained ResNet50
Performance
  • Higher median F1-scores, lower variance across classes.
  • Better ROC-AUC values.
  • Lower median F1-scores, higher variance.
  • Higher misclassification rates, especially for wood.
Stability
  • More stable learning curves.
  • Less frequent fluctuations.
  • Greater irregularities, random fluctuations, plateaus.
  • Persistent gaps between training and validation loss, preventing convergence.
Interpretability (Saliency Maps)
  • Effectively highlights polished areas.
  • Consistent color distribution across methods.
  • Saliency maps exhibit discrepancies.
  • Predominantly focuses on central region (center bias).
Feature Focus
  • Learns features directly relevant to use-wear polish.
  • Pre-trained on ImageNet, may focus on irrelevant features.
Imaging Aspect 20x Objective 10x Objective Patch Size 16 Patch Size 9
Classification Performance (Accuracy/F1-score)
  • Higher accuracy (custom median 0.82, ResNet50 median 0.79).
  • Lower accuracy (custom median 0.75, ResNet50 median 0.72).
  • Better for custom CNN (median F1-score 0.82).
  • Better for ResNet50 (median F1-score 0.75).
  • Lower for custom CNN (median F1-score 0.79).
  • Lower for ResNet50 (median F1-score 0.73).
Reasoning
  • Captures polish characteristics more effectively at higher magnification, providing sufficient detail.
  • Insufficient information captured for detailed polish patterns.
  • Smaller patches (more divisions) maintain resolution and preserve fine details, improving model accuracy.
  • Larger patches may lose critical resolution and detail after resizing.
0.91 Highest F1-score for 1000-Stroke Polish Classification
0.76 Median F1-score for 2000-Stroke Polish Classification

The study successfully differentiated polish formed by different numbers of strokes, indicating CNNs can distinguish between short-term (1000 strokes) and longer-term (2000 strokes) use intensity. Polish from 1000 strokes was classified with significantly higher accuracy than polish from 2000 strokes (91% vs 76% F1-score, custom CNN). This suggests that at higher stroke counts, polish might lose distinguishing characteristics or exhibit greater variability, aligning with theories of polish stability and overlapping classifications after extensive use. This differentiation highlights the potential for AI to precisely quantify tool use duration.

Strategic Implications for Enterprise AI in Archaeology

This study underscores the immense potential of custom CNNs for automating and standardizing use-wear analysis, but also highlights critical challenges. The lower performance with wood polish and limitations in distinguishing certain materials indicate the need for more diverse and larger datasets. Future research must focus on optimizing CNN architectures, refining preprocessing techniques, and incorporating robust evaluation strategies like cross-validation. Adopting open science practices, including data sharing and transparent methodologies, is crucial to building reliable and generalizable AI models for archaeological studies. This will enable archaeologists to leverage AI for deeper, more objective insights into human technological evolution.

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