Türkiye uses AI-driven technology to tag 254,698 artifacts, safeguard its cultural heritage

By Yasemin Kalyoncuoglu

The directorate general of cultural assets and museums of Türkiye has tagged 254,698 artifacts, which are now on display and in storage at museums across the country, as part of an ongoing campaign to tag them using artificial intelligence-supported DNA technology.

In an interview with Anadolu, Cultural Assets and Museums Director General Birol Incecikoz described the "identification project for the security of historical artifacts," which has been launched to protect, preserve, and pass down artifacts in the ministry-affiliated museums for future generations.

Incecikoz said all museums across Türkiye contain 2.86 million artifacts, excluding coins.

On the instructions of Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the directorate began efforts to combat cultural asset smuggling, as well as to identify and inventory these artifacts.

Incecikoz said in the first phase of the project, they completed the chemical identification of 103,816 artifacts on display before moving on to those in storage: "We have completed (the identification) of 150,882 artifacts in our museum storages. By 2028, we will have registered all artifacts in our storages and make it clear that these artifacts belong to us through digital identification.”

He described the coding process as a "domestic and national effort," with AI being used to create unique, invisible, and intangible traces on each artifact.

"The material we're using contains important chemicals. It is a type of substance that cannot be seen or felt, containing DNA traces created by AI algorithms. After processing each artifact’s identity card information, we leave a non-damaging signature on the artifact. You can't feel it by touch, see it with the naked eye, or detect it with ultraviolet light. There are specific reader systems for this.”

- An identity card for each artifact

Incecikoz emphasized that they have made significant progress in combating smuggling and that Türkiye has become a rule-setting country in this regard.

He underlined that the work is being carried out by a strong team of experts in the field and museum specialists, indicating that the system will provide valuable data for those working on cultural assets in the future.

Incecikoz explained that the process of tagging artifacts includes several sub-studies, adding, "We do not simply add a DNA code to the artifact. We perform various types of examinations on the current state of an artifact in storage or display, and we create an identity card for the artifact. We store all of the information in the system. We also perform conservation, cleaning, and minor interventions on artifacts. The conservation laboratories are responsible for maintaining and repairing the artifacts.”

- Anadolu films storage at Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

Anadolu also filmed the storage of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, where restorers and conservators apply DNA coding to identify artifacts.

Wearing protective gear and accompanied by security personnel, restorers meticulously examine each artifact, take inventory numbers, and photograph them from various angles. The artifacts are then treated with inorganic nanotechnological material, and a DNA code is added for identification.

The artifact and its data are recorded in the Museum National Inventory System, which is only accessible to authorized personnel.