Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in cooperation with the Atomic Energy Authority, is set to launch the first workshop of its kind in Egypt that uses nuclear, radiological and artificial intelligence techniques for the restoration and documentation of ancient mummies and other human remains.
The workshop is organized by the Department of Restoration of Mummies and Human Remains.
Lasting for three days, the workshop will be held with the participation of a group of experts and specialists from the authority, the ministry, and the Faculty of Archeology in Cairo University.
The head of the Central Department for Maintenance and Restoration at the ministry, Manal Abdel-Moneim, said that the Atomic Energy Authority’s laboratories have state-of-the-art technologies for examining, maintaining and analyzing human remains without harming them.
She added that the Artificial Intelligence Division of the Atomic Energy Authority will assist the restorers in performing their duties.
During the workshop, the technologies used will be explained in an extensive manner by scientists within the authority.
The director of the Mummies Restoration Department, Rania Ahmed, stated that the use of AI technology in this field is of major importance, as it keeps pace with the latest scientific developments and allows for a non-invasive method of examining these mummies, thereby preserving Egypt’s heritage.
She said that this marks the first time in Egypt that AI technology will be used on mummies and human remains, and added that it will go beyond preparing videos or reconstructing faces as it will also be used in restoration work.
Ahmed explained that training sessions will take place on the use of AI in the restoration field.
She added that programs will be reviewed which can help the restorer to evaluate the process of restoring mummies and human remains before work even begins.
Restoration workers can use a special program on a laptop or on an iPad to take pictures of the available bones of the remains, which can then be set-up through the program.
