This paper examines the transformative potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and neuroaesthetic methodologies in archaeology, museum collections and art history. It introduces the concept of the AI multiverse, which allows archaeologists and social scientists to construct multiple plausible reconstructions of ancient environments and cultural practices, addressing the inherent uncertainties in archaeological data. Generative AI tools create simulations and visualizations that redefine traditional archaeological frameworks by incorporating multivocal and dynamic interpretations. The study also integrates visual thinking strategies (VTSs), eye tracking and saliency map analyses to investigate how structured observation enhances cognitive and emotional engagement with visual artifacts. A case study involving the painting My Mother, She Fell From the Sky highlights the impact of VTS on guiding viewers’ gaze and improving interpretive depth, as evidenced by heatmaps and saliency distribution.
本文探讨了生成式人工智能（AI）与神经美学方法在考古学、博物馆藏品研究及艺术史领域中的变革潜力。文章提出了“AI多元宇宙”（AI multiverse）这一概念，认为该框架能够使考古学家与社会科学研究者构建关于古代环境与文化实践的多种合理重建版本，从而回应考古数据中固有的不确定性问题。生成式人工智能工具能够创建模拟与可视化结果，通过纳入多声部、动态化的解释路径，重新定义传统考古学研究框架。与此同时，研究还整合了视觉思维策略（visual thinking strategies, VTS）、眼动追踪以及显著性图分析，以考察结构化观察如何增强观者对视觉文物的认知投入与情感参与。其中，以绘画作品《My Mother, She Fell From the Sky》为案例的研究显示，视觉思维策略在引导观者视线分布并提升其解释深度方面具有显著作用，这一点从热图与显著性分布分析结果中得到了验证。
