how can computers help us?

A student asked me in class today why historians can't simply feed the symbols of an undeciphered language into a computer and have it translated into English for them. I'm sure that scholars of Linear A wish this were possible!

Computers are helping decipher aspects of Minoan culture in another way, though. The article below describes an exciting collaboration between a computer scientist and historians attempting to piece together fresco fragments at Akrotiri.

• Perfect fit --Computer experts at Princeton are helping archaeologists reassemble fragments of an ancient Greek fresco