The Face of a Noblewoman Who Died 1,600 Years Ago Revived Through 3D Technology.
Experts have used advanced 3D forensic technology to create a lifelike portrait of a noblewoman who lived in South America approximately 1,600 years ago, National Geographic reported on July 4.
Scientists reconstruct the face of the mummy. (Video: National Geographic).
In 2005, archaeologists working at the El Brujo site in northern coastal Peru discovered a textile bundle buried in an intricately decorated tomb dating back to 400 AD. Inside the textile was the naturally preserved mummy of a young noblewoman from the Moche civilization, which thrived in the region about 1,000 years before the Inca Empire.
The mummy is referred to by locals as Lady Cao, named after a nearby town, Magdalena de Cao. The remains are displayed in a museum at El Brujo. Museum staff preserve the mummy in a temperature-controlled chamber, allowing visitors to view it only through a glass window.
The museum management wanted visitors to have a better opportunity to see this remarkable woman. They also needed to create an accurate replica that would preserve her likeness for the long term.
After assembling a team of international archaeologists, anthropologists, forensic scientists, artists, and 3D technology engineers, the Augusto N. Wiese Foundation began the project in November of last year.
Natural mummy of Lady Cao. (Photo: Reuters).
The researchers had to remove 20 layers of fabric wrapped around Señora’s body, as well as artifacts made of gold, silver, and gold-plated copper, to begin the reconstruction process. The mummy of Señora was scanned using a modern handheld laser scanner designed by the 3D technology company FARO.
After importing the scan data into a computer, the forensic expert began reconstructing Señora’s face. Using specialized software, technicians mapped depth contours of the tissue based on averages from other remains and added facial muscles onto the skull of the mummy.
The skull of the mummy exhibits high cheekbones and the typical facial proportions of the Moche civilization in northern Peru from 100 to 700 AD. In the remaining reconstruction work, the research team relied on educated guesses to recreate soft features that had not survived after Señora’s death.
In reality, Señora’s remains were not in pristine condition. Her lips had shriveled, her nose had disappeared, and her eyes and eyelids were dry and deeply sunken. Experts had to rely on various clues to determine her facial shape, such as human figures on Moche pottery, studies of excavated Moche skeletons, photographs of people from northern Peru taken a century ago, and the faces of modern descendants of the Moche living around El Brujo today.
After completing the face reconstruction, the research team 3D printed the entire head of the body. A model intended for display at the museum was produced using fiberglass. However, this model was hollow like a mannequin. To determine details such as eye color, eyebrows, eyelashes, skin tone, and attire befitting Señora’s high status, Fernández López collaborated with a sculptor specializing in recreating historical figures for museums.
The reconstructed face of Lady Cao. (Photo: Reuters).
Señora was only 25-29 years old at the time of her death. The reason she was buried with treasures and her exact role in the community remain a mystery. “There are no written records, so we do not know who she was,” said John Verano, an anthropologist at Tulane University in Louisiana, USA, who assisted in unwrapping the mummy and reconstructing Señora’s face.
Researchers only know that Señora held an important position in society. Standing at 1.5 meters tall and possessing a strong physique, she was not a warrior ready for battle but could have been the wife of a tribal leader.
Arabel Fernández López stated: “It was moving to witness the final step of the reconstruction process. It felt as if this woman had come back to life. I told myself: ‘It’s okay, Señora, you are here with us again.’
Fernández López added: “We want people of all ages to have a unique, memorable experience that connects them with Señora of Cao.”
Locals have embraced Señora as a special goddess. “People are very proud of her,” Fernández López said. “She comes up in discussions about the cultural identity of the indigenous community and has become a symbol of Peruvian women.”
Professor John Verano remarked: “I think it will be particularly important for children. Looking into her eyes, they will be able to see their relatives and ancestors. That is something that a lifeless mummy face cannot provide.”
