Face and prominent features of the skull of a 4,000-year-old woman

Arabia Weather - This woman was buried in the Stone Age and walked through the forests of northern Sweden in ancient times. Currently, the archaeologist has spent 350 hours recreating her facial features.

4000 year old skull

For 4,000 years, this woman remained buried without anyone paying attention to her burial place in a grave surrounded by stones in the forests of northeastern Sweden. They were likely following animal migrations along the Indalsalven River. When she died in her thirties, for unknown reasons, she was buried with a young boy - perhaps her son - who was estimated to be seven years old.

In 2020, the curatorial team at the Västernorrlands Museum in Sweden reached out to archaeologist Oscar Nilsson, who is famous for meticulously using clay to recreate the facial features of people who lived thousands of years ago. In this context, the museum kept the skeletons of a woman and a boy that were discovered a hundred years ago in a small village called Lagmansurin.

The oldest human skeletons in Sweden

These two Stone Age bodies are the oldest skeletons ever discovered in this rugged region of Sweden, where harsh environmental conditions often make it difficult to preserve the bodies. The museum wanted to display the face of the oldest inhabitant of that area to the public. But the question that was raised was: What would this woman's face look like? While the boy's frame was in such poor condition that it was difficult for Nelson to reshape it.

Restoration of the oldest skull in Sweden

Over the past two decades, Oscar Nelson has become a pioneer in the field of archaeological restoration. He has "brought back to life" more than a hundred long-dead human ancestors. Nelson's work begins by placing more than a dozen muscles made of clay onto a replica of a person's skull, which was discovered using 3D printing technology. He then places small pegs that mark the depth of the tissue, which varies depending on a person's gender, age, weight, and genetic origin. These pegs carry a skin layer made of plastic clay, and the final face is designed using silicone that mimics the color of the skin.

Many fine features can be predicted using information recorded in the remaining bone. For example, this woman was just under 1.5 meters tall, which means she was of short stature for women of her time. It also had prominent teeth, an asymmetrical nose, downward-sloping eyes, and a male-like lower jaw.

In the absence of DNA in her skeleton, her hair, skin and eye color could not be determined using traditional techniques. Instead, Nelson analyzed historical migration patterns. This suggests that this woman lived in a time period that coincided with the relatively late arrival of farmers in Scandinavian regions. In this context you encounter a mixture of farmers, hunters and gatherers.

Nelson concluded from this that this woman probably had light skin and dark hair. This scientific work also includes the artistic aspect of infusing emotion into the face. Regarding facial expression, Nelson says: “I need to bring the face to life, so that one has the impression that there is someone looking at them through those eyes.” It is clear from her facial expression that she is “a little proud. Despite her short stature, no one should bother her.”

Source: ngalarabiya