The reconstruction of the face of a man who lived more than 8.000 years ago was unveiled Tuesday in Zhengzhou, the capital of China's central Henan province, providing a better understanding of the region's prehistoric inhabitants.
The sculpture, based on human remains unearthed at the Jiahu archaeological site in Henan, combined physical anthropology with high-precision 3D facial reconstruction technology, according to researchers from the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology and the Bioarchaeology Laboratory of Jilin University.
He was identified as a man between 25 and 30 years old
This work represents an important application of scientific methods in archaeology and offers the public a more direct way to appreciate the inhabitants of Jiahu, said Wang Wei, director of the institute. Based on the shape of the pelvis and the wear on the teeth, the individual was identified as a man between 25 and 30 years old, according to Zhu Hong, a professor at the laboratory.
His skull was regularly oval-shaped, with a prominent brow ridge and marked cheekbones; his face was angular and relatively flat, while his nose was of moderate size, Zhu explained. These features reflect the typical physical characteristics of the prehistoric peoples of the central plains.
High-resolution 3D data
The researchers collected high-resolution 3D data and created a detailed model of the man's skull. For the facial reconstruction, they used 28 key points on this part of his body and assessed the characteristics of the muscle insertion in order to shape the contours.
They also added subtle wrinkles and a natural-looking beard, taking into account the person's age at the time of death, Zhu explained. The Jiahu site, located in the village of the same name in Wuyang County, dates back between 9.000 and 7.500 years. It is a large, culturally rich Early Neolithic settlement.
Archaeologists have unearthed bone flutes, tortoise shells, pottery, and stone objects, among other artifacts, which are of great importance for exploring the origins of Chinese civilization.
In China, digital tools are increasingly being used in archaeology. The country's most recent five-year plan for the protection and the conservation of cultural heritage It advocates for the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, satellite remote sensing, drones, 3D reality modeling and virtual reality to improve this protection through digital resources, as well as for more effective management of heritage archives and digital assets.
