The Code Change Ownership Archaeologist

 Build a repository analysis tool that helps engineering teams understand how code ownership and maintenance responsibility have evolved over time.

Allow users to provide Git history, file paths, commit metadata, and optional team ownership rules. Analyze repository changes without assuming that the most frequent contributor is necessarily the correct owner.

Generate:

• A file-to-contributor history map.

• A timeline of ownership transitions.

• A detector for critical files with unclear or concentrated maintenance responsibility.

• A comparison of declared ownership rules against historical changes.

• A list of files that frequently change together.

• A report on areas with limited recent maintenance evidence.

• Suggested review groups for future changes.

• Exportable ownership documentation and repository reports.

Distinguish commit activity from actual expertise or organizational responsibility. Handle renames and deleted files where supported, explain incomplete history, and never infer personal performance from commit counts alone. Include a sample repository history and deterministic analysis tests.