In recent years, facial reconstruction technology has allowed us to come face to face with our ancient ancestors in a way that has never been possible before. 50,000 years old Geriatric Neanderthalto a medieval man with achondroplastic dwarfismand the ever-enigmatic hominid “hobbit” Homo floresiensisthe faces of our ancestors can now be revealed in striking relief.
In 2022, archaeologists at the University of Bradford were loaned a set of three medieval skills by National Museums Scotland and Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Museums Service. The skulls had been discovered as part of a larger project to investigate the history of Whithorn.
Known as the “cradle of Scottish Christianity”, the priory Whithorn was an important place of worship for over 1,000 years. Archaeological digs at the site have revealed a treasure trove of artifacts, including a carved stone dating from the fifth century CE, which is the oldest evidence of Christianity in the country.
In addition to objects of religious significance, there are a number of objects human burials on the site. As part of the Cold Case Whithorn Project, in collaboration with the Whithorn Trust, archaeologists and forensic pathologists set out to piece together the stories of some of the area’s ancient residents, including the three individuals to whom the skulls belonged.
Once the skulls were scanned, forensic pathologist Dr. Christopher Rynn applied his considerable expertise to bring their faces to life.
“This involves the use of facial soft tissue depth, individually sculpted musculature to fit each skull, and scientific methods of estimating each facial feature, such as eyes, nose, mouth and ears, based on skull morphology,” Dr. Rynn said in a statement. statement.
One of the skulls was that of a woman, who would have been around 20 years old at the time of her death. In a Instagram postDr. Rynn explained that she was probably a person of high rank since she was buried alongside a bishop, but beyond that little is known about her life.
With it was the skull of a man who had a cleft lip, a split in the lip and palate that can occur when tissues do not fuse properly during development in the womb. Nowadays this can be fixed with surgeryalthough many children will need ongoing treatment.
Reconstructed face of a cleric with a cleft lip and palate.
Credit: Dr. Chris Rynn
Our trio is completed by Bishop Walter of Whithorn, who died in 1235. Dr Shirley Curtis-Summers, a bioarchaeologist at the University of Bradford, was able to carry out stable isotope analysis on some of the burials, which revealed clues additional information on the identity of Bishop Walter. life.
“My role as a bioarchaeologist is to examine archaeological skeletons to identify indicators of disease and trauma. I also analyze human bones and teeth for stable isotopes, which can tell us about the types of foods people ate in the past and whether they were close to their burial sites,” said Dr. Curtis-Summers.
In the case of the bishop, we know that he had a penchant for fish, and that such a diet is indicative of one’s wealth and status. The same can be said for his elaborate burial: he was buried in a stone coffin covered in wood, with full clothing, his crozier made of wood, and a gold ring set with rubies and emeralds.
The facial reconstructions were unveiled as part of the Wigtown Book Festival 2022 and were subsequently displayed at the Whithorn Visitor Centre.
These types of reconstructions add a whole new layer to the already impressive amount of information that can be gleaned from archaeological finds, giving us a tantalizing glimpse into our history. After all, modern technology has made it possible to recreate the history of our ancestors. favorite drinksfind out what kind of cheese they preferred, and even have a glimpse of the parasites it tormented them.
As Dr. Curtis-Summers explains: “This project is critically important because although we will never be able to tell the full story of the lives of these medieval people, being able to reconstruct their diet, their mobility and now their face allows us to delve into their past and find them face to face.
