Posted on 06/20/2023 1:48:52 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Archaeologists and forensic artists have successfully reconstructed the face of a young girl who passed away over 1,300 years ago.
The remains of this girl were discovered in 2012, laid to rest on a wooden bed in Trumpington, Cambridgeshire. Moreover, a cross made of gold and garnet rested upon her chest.
In an upcoming exhibition at Cambridge University, this facial reconstruction will be unveiled to the public.
Expressing his excitement, Dr. Sam Leggett, an archaeologist involved in the project, revealed that it is not uncommon for him to encounter individuals from the past without a face. Therefore, he found it truly heartwarming to witness the transformation.
Use of ’tissue depth data’ to reconstruct the face
Utilizing scientific techniques, forensic artist Hew Morrison meticulously crafted the facial likeness of this young woman. He relied on the precise measurements of her skull and tissue depth data specific to Caucasian females.
Morrison noted an interesting detail during the reconstruction process: the girl’s left eye sat slightly lower than her right eye, creating a noticeable asymmetry in her appearance during her lifetime.
Recent in-depth analysis of the bones and teeth belonging to this 7th-century teenager has shed light on various aspects of her brief existence.
It was discovered that she was originally born near the Alps, likely in southern Germany, and later migrated to the flat and marshy terrain of Cambridgeshire’s fens after she reached the age of seven, as reported by BBC.
Furthermore, when the young woman migrated to England, there was a noticeable shift in her dietary patterns.
The analysis has revealed a decrease in the proportion of protein consumed by the girl after her arrival in Trumpington, according to Dr. Leggett.
This means that she had a higher intake of meat and dairy products during her time in southern Germany compared to her new life in England.
Moreover, research conducted by Cambridge University and published last year brought to light an intriguing fact: before the Vikings settled, Anglo-Saxon kings followed mostly a vegetarian diet.
Previous analysis by researchers had already unveiled the fact that the young woman had been afflicted by an undisclosed illness prior to her passing.
Dr. Leggett said that it was already evident that she had been suffering from a health condition. The specific nature of the illness, however, remains unidentified.
The burial discovered is a rare find, as it is one of only 18 bed burials discovered in the United Kingdom. The presence of a gold and garnet cross not only shows her relation to Christianity but also suggests a possible aristocratic or royal lineage.
Rather plump looking.
I think they can get pretty close. They’ve reconstructed modern skulls of unknown missing people which were later recognized by family.
What is interesting to me is the date of death and the location of a well-worked cross that far north in England. In the seventh century Pope Gregory sent missionaries to England to revive a flagging church. Augustine of Canterbury (early 6th century – probably 26 May 604) was a monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in 597. He is considered the Apostle to the English” and a founder of the English Church.
***The remains of this girl were discovered in 2012***
But, wait! How do we know it was a girl?
How do we know the ancient skeleton of “LUCY’ was also a female?
When a Supreme Court Justice cannot define the difference because she “is not a biologist” we know the world is in trouble.
Women have different hips than men
> PS. Her hair would have been plaited.
why? (just wondering, nbd)
one would think that they would plait her hair in the reconstruction if so (not saying the reconstruction is correct).
Correct! But today’s “woke” generation are not allowed to accept that.
Physiology like math don’t recognize woke
Practical reasons. Keep it out of the way and keep it clean. Also I don’t think hairstyles changed much going into later Medieval times and illustrations from that time show women often wore it plaited. She probably also may have worn a wimple for the same reasons.
I think the artist was more interested in showing the bone structure and facial features than what her hair would have looked like.
![]() "1,300? Big deal!" |
Forensic anthropologists do it. You can see quite a few on websites about unidentified homicide victims.
Okay.
Fine.
Who funded this - any taxpayer money?
How many $$$ did it cost to simply satisfy someone’s curiosity?
hmmmm, yeahhh
thanks
How do they know she identified as a girl?..................
Read later.
There’s one I haven’t heard.
“…became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in 597. “
I’d wondered how far back that office went. The spread of Christianity is itself a sign of The Holy Spirit. Think of the world it was spreading so successfully into and all it accomplished as it did so.
the face looks more gaelic to me. a little too round faced for one’s normal picture of an anglo saxon. but maybe that’s just me.
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