Archaeologists in Yamagata, Japan said they have discovered a cluster of enormous, ancient geoglyphs in Southern Peru. The discovery was made with the help of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology. A research group at Yamagata University identified 143 new geoglyphs etched into the desert terrains of Nazca in southern Peru. The giant land art pieces, known as the Nazca Lines, depict human-like figures and a variety of animals including birds, fish, snakes, foxes, felines, and camelids. Many can only be identified from the air due to their large size.

IBM power systems and Yamagata University collaborated to develop an AI-enabled cloud platform and geoscope that uncovered mysterious and ancient geoglyphs. Could robots become archaeological assistants, shuffling or trudging across sandy terrain like R2D2 and C3P0 in 1977's original " Star Wars?" Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine-learning algorithms, along with geospatial data, are being used to uncover mysterious and ancient geoglyphs, courtesy of a collaboration between IBM power systems and Yamagata University. And, using the new AI, scientists discovered a new formation of very large geoglyphs in the soil on the Nazca Lines in southern Peru-- the first to be found using AI. While straight lines dominate the Nazca desert landscape, figurative designs of animals and plants have evolved.

YAMAGATA – Yamagata University has announced the discovery of 143 geoglyphs on the Nazca Pampa and surrounding areas in Peru, including one found in a study using artificial intelligence technology. The university's team, led by professor Masato Sakai, found 142 geoglyphs, including ones depicting humans, snakes and birds, through analysis of high-resolution images of the areas and fieldwork there between 2016 and 2018. The research was based on a hypothesis that many geoglyphs were created along small paths in the western region of the Nazca Pampa, according to the university's announcement Friday. The team conducted the AI-based study with cooperation from IBM Japan Ltd. between 2018 and 2019. The world's first such study analyzed aerial photographs using deep-learning techniques to look for what are likely to be geoglyphs.