AI Cracks Ancient Babylonian Texts: Uncovering New Chapters of the Epic of Gilgamesh

Professor Enrique Jiménez and his team at LMU Munich are using AI to digitize surviving cuneiform tablets. Their project, Fragmentarium, has processed 22,000 fragments, using algorithms to match pieces and identify hundreds of new manuscripts and textual connections. Remarkably, it unearthed a fragment of the Gilgamesh epic dating to 130 BC. Soon to be publicly released, the project will offer a digital version of all known cuneiform fragments, including a new edition of the Epic of Gilgamesh incorporating all known transcriptions. This groundbreaking resource promises to unlock a deeper understanding of ancient Babylonian literature and culture.