Researchers have successfully reconstructed the face of a man who lived in Brazil approximately 9,600 years ago.
In 1997, archaeologists unearthed a fetus-position skeleton at Toca dos Coqueiros, a site located in the Serra da Capivara National Park, Brazil. Based on the size and shape of the skull, they identified the remains as female and named her Zuzu. However, this classification remains contentious, with many researchers arguing that the deceased was male. An image predicting the face based on the 9,600-year-old skull may finally resolve the debate.
Two images predicting the face of Zuzu. (Photo: Moacir Elias Santos and Cícero Moraes).
Last year, researchers took dozens of photographs from various angles of the skull displayed at the Natural History Museum in Paraná, Brazil. Using photogrammetry, they digitally combined 57 images to create a virtual 3D model of the skull, revealing the face of the deceased, as reported by Live Science on February 14.
“Finding a way to reconstruct the appearance of an individual who lived thousands of years ago is a way to bring them back to the present”, said Moacir Elias Santos, an archaeologist at the Ciro Flamarion Cardoso History Museum, Brazil. “Our main interest is to see the face of Zuzu. This skeleton is one of the most significant discoveries in the Serra da Capivara National Park.”
To conduct the research, Santos and his team utilized computed tomography (CT scan) from a donor and applied the information to adjust the skull structure, including markers for tissue thickness, according to Cícero Moraes, a Brazilian graphic specialist. “We adjusted the skull structure to transform the donor’s skull to a volume closely resembling Zuzu’s skull”, Moraes explained. “As we did this, the soft tissue was also adjusted, and the result was a face that met expectations, reflective of Zuzu’s life.”
The research team produced two results, both depicting a young man with flared nostrils and a wide mouth. One of the images includes hair and eyebrows based on information provided by the donor. The image of Zuzu with closed eyes and no hair on his head is also a speculation. Due to the digital face being “slightly gaunt”, the team reduced the jawline to match the gap created by some missing teeth. The image has a gray tone due to the lack of accurate information about the deceased’s skin color.
