Researchers and artists created the reconstruction of the impressive faces of a Stone Age woman who lived in what is now Belgium about 10,500 years ago.
A detailed description of the prehistoric hunter-gatherer known as the “Margaux Women” is based on a variety of scientific data, including her skeleton and ancient DNA ruins, according to a statement from the University of Ghent in Belgium.
Reconstruction – created by the University’s Interdisciplinary Regional Outlook (ROAM) project in collaboration with Dutch artists and twin brothers Adrie and Alfons Kennis – reveals an interesting set of features.
You might like it
Roam’s research shows that hunter-gatherers probably have blue or light eyes, and an astonishing “medium-tone” skin complexion. Project leader Isabel des Grue is a professor in the Department of Archaeology at Ghent University and told Live Science via email. This tone of skin appears to be slightly lighter than most other Western Europeans of the Mesoslithic (or Mid Stone Age) that scientists have studied up until now.
Related: 45 Amazing Face Reconstructions, from Stone Age Shamans to Kings
Comparing her with other individuals who lived in about the same period, such as the iconic British Cheddarman, reveals this “subtle but important” difference and highlights the variations already existed in post-Ice age Western Europe, De Groote said. “Margaux women’s skin pigmentation indicates greater complexity of skin pigmentation within these populations and is more heterogeneous than previously thought.”
According to the statement, Cheddarman belonged to the same population of Western Europe’s hunter-gatherer as the Margo women. Previous research suggests that his complexion on his skin is slightly darker, but he also has blue eyes. Other members of this hunter-gatherer shared a similar combination of dark skin and pale eyes.
Margaux’s woman
The ruins of female hunter-gatherer people were first revealed in 1988 during the excavation of Margaux Caves near Dynant in the Meuse Valley area of Belgium. At the time, genetic analysis techniques that notified new reconstitution were not available. The researchers first scanned the female skulls and created a 3D printed breeding, De Groote said. The Kenneth brothers then used this printed version to model head muscles and skin. They did this using the anatomical criteria of the region, taking into account the age of the women. Based on her skull characteristics, researchers estimated that she was between 35 and 60 years old when she died.
The team used ancient DNA extracted from parts of the skull to guess potential eye colour and skin complexion. They also considered the effect of sunburn to reproduce the color of their phones.
Face reconstructions like these can provide an attractive window into the distant past, but some elements are open to interpretation.
“It’s difficult to distinguish between your actual skin tone and your eye color,” De Groote said. “Ancient DNA doesn’t have an exact answer.”
Source link
