Young man with a volumen and wearing a laurel wreath, fresco from Pompeii, 1st century AD
Young man with a volumen and wearing a laurel wreath, fresco from Pompeii, 1st century AD

Roman imperial portraits

Facial recognition and distribution
Duration
1 January 2018 until 1 July 2023
Project member(s)
Prof. O.J. Hekster (Olivier) , Florens de Wit, MSc (RU) , Dr Luuk Spreeuwers (Twente)
Project type
Research

This project aims to A) analyze if there are modes to automatically recognize the identity of a Roman imperial portrait (ca. 27 BC – AD 560). It will do so by testing if facial recognition software can be adapted to establish the identity of 2d images of Roman imperial portraits; B) create a digital map which shows the development of Roman imperial portraits throughout approximately 600 years, and be able to show their finding spot.

Results

'Facial recognition as a tool to identify Roman emperors: Towards a new methodology', forthcoming in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

Online database: Imperial Portraits

Contact information