Experts unveil ancient Colombian faces from 13th-18th centuries by digital reconstruction
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Researchers recently uncovered the faces of ancient Colombians who lived hundreds of years ago.
Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) in the United Kingdom announced in an August press release that experts at its Face Lab were able to digitally remove face masks from corpses found in the Cordillera Oriental region of eastern Colombia.
The results were held in August in Cuzco, Peru, at the XI. Presented at the World Mummy Research Congress.
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Researchers analyzed four bodies found in the collection of the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH).
The statement said the bodies spanned several centuries in Colombian history, from the 13th to the 18th century.
Experts at Liverpool John Moores University have reconstructed the faces of four mummified individuals from Colombia’s Cordillera Oriental region. An example of their digital reconstruction is shown on the right. (Daniel Romero/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images; Face Lab, Liverpool John Moores University)
The oldest mummy is dated to around 1216, while the “newest” mummy is believed to have died around 1797.
Masks were made directly from the skulls of the deceased, covering their jaws and faces.
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Using volumetric CT reconstructions, X-ray diffraction and DNA analysis, among other methods, the team digitally removed funeral masks from the corpses and reconstructed their faces.
The photos show four reconstructed faces and corresponding skull scans, revealing what the men looked like during their time on Earth.
The study covers five centuries of Colombia’s history, from approximately 1216 to 1797, the researchers said. (Face Lab, Liverpool John Moores University)
According to LJMU, ancient Colombians made very realistic, intricate funerary masks.
“They prepared masks for their dead to make the mummified bodies look like they were alive,” the university said.
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“Masks were made of clay, waxes, and resins but often contained gold or other decorative materials and told an untold story of the culture and technology of Eastern Colombia between the 13th and 17th centuries.”
Researcher Jessica Liu told Fox News Digital that the most surprising aspect of the project was the different shapes of the heads.
Researchers used advanced imaging to digitally separate funerary masks, preserving the physical integrity of the mummies. (Face Lab, Liverpool John Moores University)
“The four heads were quite different in size and the shape of the skulls was quite different,” he said.
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“After the conference in Cuzco, we donated the 3D replicas to ICANH [and] They were very pleased with the results,” added Liu.
Felipe Cárdenas-Arroyo said the funeral masks were made with “extraordinary workmanship.” (Face Lab, Liverpool John Moores University)
Felipe Cárdenas-Arroyo, a researcher from the Academia Colombiana de Historia, said the masks were made using “extraordinary workmanship.”
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“[They are]”So far it is only known to exist in Colombia,” he observed.
