CAA Australasia Digital Archaeology Panel Series

Join us for a discussion of hot topics in machine learning!

This panel zeroes in on Machine Learning (ML) as a working tool in archaeology, not a buzzword. The focus is on how ML is being applied across the pipeline: from automated detection of features in imagery and point clouds, to classification of motifs, artefacts, and landscapes at scales that were previously unmanageable.

Speakers will show where ML is genuinely shifting the needle—pattern recognition in material culture datasets, predictive modelling in survey, and the integration of learned models with GIS and 3D recording workflows. Just as importantly, we interrogate performance: training data limitations, transferability between regions, false positives, and the risks of overfitting in sparse archaeological datasets.

The panel keeps a clear line of sight on application. What does it take to deploy these methods in the field or within heritage management frameworks? How do we validate outputs in ways that stand up to archaeological scrutiny? And where does human expertise remain critical?

Rather than treating machine learning as a replacement for interpretation, the discussion positions it as an amplifier—extending our ability to see patterns, test hypotheses, and work at scale. Expect concrete examples, honest assessments, and a grounded view of where ML is already delivering, and where it still falls short.

With guests Dr Josh Emmitt, Dr Jarrad Kowlessar, Dr Christopher J. Bateman, Dr Robert Haubt, and hosted by Emily Tour, this panel will be recorded and later made available via the CAA Australasia YouTube channel.

CAA Australasia's events are free and open to the public. Attendees agree to abide the by the CAA International's social media policy.

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Contact the host of Machine Learning for Archaeologists | CAA Australasia Panel

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