1,500-year-old girl is reconstructed [Gaya Kingdom, Korea]

Joongang Daily ^ | November 26, 2009 | Kim Hyung-eun

[SunkenCiv]

She was probably 16 years old and had a wide, flat Asian face, a long neck and a slim figure. The girl died 1,500 years ago. But now she's reborn -- well, partially, at least. The restoration is the result of two years of interdisciplinary work that brought together experts in archaeology, forensic medicine, anatomy, genetics, chemistry and other fields -- a notable step forward in Korean archaeology. In December 2007, archaeologists discovered the complete remains of the girl and partial remains of three others in a tomb in Changnyeong County, South Gyeongsang... The work revealed that the four people -- two women and two men -- died in the early sixth century, either due to suffocation or poisoning. Their main diet had been rice, barley and beans as well as meat. The girl's age was estimated through an examination of her teeth. She apparently spent much time kneeled down and engaged in the repetitious task of cutting something with her teeth, according to the medical evaluation. She was wearing a golden earring and is believed to have been a maid, not a slave.

[musicman]

[Little Bill]

I did some time with MACV, as a radio slave, with the ROK’s in 1966. They are some big people much larger than the Vietnamese and have more prominent noses, I suspect some miscegenation in the early years.

[uglybiker]

1,500-year-old girl is reconstructed

So.....Helen Thomas went to Korea for plastic surgery?

[Tax-chick]

Reeds for basketry seems to make the most sense. It doesn’t seem like thread would visibly wear down a young person’s teeth so much that it would be obvious after 1,500 years. But then, I have scissors ...

[usmcobra]

The Bad news, she was taller and better fed than most of North Korea today.

[SunkenCiv]

:’)