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Could AI Language Models Like ChatGPT Unlock Mysterious Ancient Texts?

Ancient writings like the Indus script and Voynich Manuscript have baffled scholars for decades. Some researchers think AI systems could help reveal their secrets.

These terracota seals show text and images written by the ancient Indus Valley civilization.Credit: DARSHAN KUMAR/Shutterstock

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Approximately 4,000 years ago, an ancient civilization living in the Indus Valley (today’s India and Pakistan) comprised 10 percent of the world’s population. Though few records remain about this group of people, archaeologists found they were advanced enough to have their own writing system — which has still yet to be deciphered.

Known as the Indus script, the mysterious text has puzzled scholars, linguists and even cryptographers for decades. Only a few hundred symbols have been classified, as scientists haven't discovered a “Rosetta stone,” or key, for decoding this unknown language. But recent advancements in artificial intelligence — including large language models like ChatGPT — could change that, providing further insights into ancient civilizations.

While the Indus Valley Civilization was formally discovered in the 1920s, it wouldn’t be until 1999 that the first pieces of its script were unearthed. Seals, pottery and even bones were inscribed with strange symbols accompanied ...

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