Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription or Fee Access

How to Facilitate Interpretation of Natural Computation Results by Converting Binary Codes of Images Back to Images

Alessandro Di Ludovico, Giovanni Pieri

Abstract


This work seeks to illustrate a segment of an in progress research project on the understanding, deciphering and codification of the iconic language of late third millennium Mesopotamian glyptic. The relatively homogeneous corpus of “presentation scenes” involves a number of questions about the logics underlying the structure of each scene and the consequences of changes in the scenes' iconography, with the different relevant meanings. The use of a Self-Organizing Maps-based algorithm in the classification of “presentation scenes” carved on Ur III cylinder seals requires both proper segmenting and codifying systems, and functional methods to interpret the results. This work deals with the problem of obtaining a sound synthetic description of medium-size or large-size SOMs related to a system of relationships between the “presentation scenes” of the examined corpus. The scenes will be reconstructed by an automatic system of interpretation and graphic-textual representation of the SOM codebooks. Such a system appears to be a good means to a quick analysis and a synthetic evaluation of the SOM processing results. Here we will explain the “meta-process” of this Matlab-based program (called SEME) in describing SOM codebooks pertaining to the iconographic classification of the examined Ur III “presentation scenes.”

Keywords


Automatic Recognition, Computer Programming, Self-Organizing Systems, Quantitative Studies on Ancient Artefacts

Full Text:

PDF

References


R. M. Boehmer, “Glyptik von der frühsumerischen bis zum Beginn der altbabylonischen Zeit,” in Der Alte Orient. Propyläen Kunstgeschichte, vol. XIV, W. Orthmann, Ed. Berlin: Propyläen, 1975, pp. 213–241.

M. Breda, “Self-Organizing Maps,” in Reti Neurali Artificiali e sistemi sociali complessi. Teoria, modelli, applicazioni, vol. I, M. Buscema, Ed. Milan: Franco Angeli, 1999, pp. 304–319.

M. Buscema and P. L. Sacco, “Auto-Contractive Maps, the H Function, and the Maximally Regular Graph (MRG): A new methodology for data mining,” in Applications of Mathematics in Models, Artificial Neural Networks and Arts, part 2, V. Capecchi, M. Buscema, P. Contucci, and B. D’Amore, Eds. Dordrecht: Springer, 2010, pp. 227–275.

E. Cassin, “Le sceau: un fait de civilisation dans la Mésopotamie ancienne,” Annales. Economies Sociétés Civilisations, vol. 4, pp. 742–751, 1960.

D. Collon, First Impressions. Cylinder Seals in the Ancient Near East. London: British Museum, 1987.

A. Di Ludovico, “Scene-in-frammenti: una proposta di analisi delle “scene di presentazione” dei sigilli a cilindro mesopotamici orientata all’elaborazione statistica ed informatica dei dati,” in Studi in onore di Paolo Matthiae presentati in occasione del suo sessantacinquesimo compleanno, Contributi e Materiali di Archeologia Orientale, vol. X – Special Issue, A. Di Ludovico and D. Nadali, Eds. Rome: Sapienza, 2005, pp. 57–95.

A. Di Ludovico, “Experimental approaches to glyptic art using Artificial Neural Networks. An investigation into the Ur III iconological context,”

in Proc. of the 36th Annual Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology – “On the Road to Reconstructing the Past”, Budapest, 2-6 April 2008, to be published.

A. Di Ludovico, “Microsolutions to miniproblems? Approaches to ancient artefacts with Artificial Neural Networks,” Archeologia Cognitiva, vol. 0, to be published.

A. Di Ludovico, “The uses of the cylinder seal as clues of mental structuring processes inside Ur III state machinery,” in Proc. of the 54th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Würzburg July 20-25 2008, to be published.

A. Di Ludovico and G. Pieri “Artificial Neural Networks and ancient artefacts: Justifications for a multiform integrated approach using PST and Auto-CM models,” Archeologia e Calcolatori, vol. 22, to be published.

A. Di Ludovico and M. Ramazzotti, “Reconstructing lexicography in glyptic art: Structural relations between the Akkadian age and the Ur III period,” in Proc. of the 51st Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Held at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, July 18-22 2005, Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization, vol. 62, R. D. Biggs, J. Myers, and M. Roth, Eds. Chicago: Oriental Institute, 2008, pp. 263–280.

H. Frankfort, Cylinder Seals. A Documentary Essay on the Art and Religion of the Ancient Near East. London: Macmillan, 1939.

T. Kohonen, “Self-organized formation of topologically correct feature maps,” Biological Cybernetics, vol. 43, 1, pp. 59–69, Jan. 1982.

T. Kohonen, “The Self-Organizing Maps,” Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 78, 9, pp. 1464–1480, Sep. 1990.

T. Kohonen (1997). Self-Organizing Maps (2nd ed.). New York, Springer.

M. Haussperger, Die Einführungsszene. Entwicklung eines mesopotamischen Motivs von der altakkadischen bis zum Ende der altbabylonischen Zeit. Münchener Vorderasiatische Studien, vol. 11, München–Wien: Profil, 1991.

F. Matera, “Self-Organizing Maps,” Substance Use & Misuse, vol. 33, pp. 365–381, 1998.

M. J. Ménant, Les pierres gravées de la Haute-Asie. Recherches sur la glyptique orientale. Première partie. Cylindres de la Chaldée. Paris: Maisonneuve, 1883.

A. Moortgat, Vorderasiatische Rollsiegel: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Steinschneidekunst. Berlin: Mann, 1940.

E. Porada, “Introduction,” in Ancient Art in Seals, E. Porada, Ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1980, pp. 3–30.

E. Porada, “Why cylinder seals? Engraved cylindrical seal stones of the Ancient Near East, fourth to first millennium B.C.,” Art Bulletin, vol. 75, pp. 563–582, 1993.

W. H. Ward, The Seal Cylinders of Western Asia. Washington, DC: Carnegie Institution, 1910.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.