A highly respected facial reconstruction center has recreated the faces represented on four ancient funerary masks, showcasing the remarkable artistry of Eastern Colombia from the 13th to the 17th centuries.
In a recent investigation, archaeologists working at the Face Lab of Liverpool John Moore University removed masks from four mummies housed at the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History. According to researchers, the construction of these masks by pre-Columbian South American cultures facilitated a merging with the deceased, creating the illusion that “the bodies seemed to be alive.”The Independent.
Because their faces were so well and enduringly captured inside the burial masks, researchers could restore the broken masks without taking them out, effectively reviving an inaccessible history.
A Face Lab researcher stated thatThe IndependentThe project, according to reports, “highlights the cultural practices of the indigenous peoples of South America,” with the expectation that it will generate greater curiosity about these “incredible civilizations.”
Masks molded from the visages of the deceased.
1. To begin, the masks are remarkable displays of artistry, being “the only ones known to exist in Colombia.”The Independent persisted, thanks to their capacity to meld with the skin, creating a lasting mark that endured through the ages.
Ancient OriginsAccording to reports, the masks were found in plundered tombs, offering no information other than the identity of their owners.
According to Live Science, the four masks were molded to fit the faces of a young child between six and seven years old, a woman in her sixties, and two young men. These artistic masks were crafted from resin, clay, and maize, and featured hints of [original material].goldThese artifacts, adorned with beads encircling the eyes, originated in the Eastern Cordillera, a section of the Colombian Andes. Experts estimate their age to fall between 1216 and 1797 AD.
According to Ancient Origins,Constructed right onto the front of the skull, these masks enveloped the whole face and jaw. The fact that they were made directly on the faces highlights the talent of the artist who created them for burial.
Technology achieves the impossible
The Face Lab group used digital techniques to “uncover” the.masksThe face was uncovered using CT X-ray scans to create three-dimensional representations.
The Independent explained that they took 2D images of each sample and then analyzed the scans to reconstruct their faces. A software enabled them to add facial tissue, and “a haptic touch stylus pen,” Live Science said, allowed them to “virtually sculpt” muscles onto the digital skulls.
Ancient Origins added that they went so far as to utilize facial measurements of Colombian men living today, which they couldn’t do for the female or child, so they had to use their own expertise in anatomy, which the craftsmen did, to fill in the missing details.
“We used a digital sculpting process to rebuild each face. With the help of a stylus and specialized software, we digitally recreated muscle, skin, and fat onto the skulls.” Dr. Jessica Liu, project manager at Face Lab told Ancient Origins.
A sophisticated culture
Beyond the significance of recent advancements in technology that have enabled facial reconstructions to make headlines lately, researchers admitted to Ancient Origins that they are limited in their ability to capture wrinkles, freckles, and pores. Their skin tone, hair, and eye color; these images shouldn’t be taken as 100% true, but rather a meeting of fact and interpretation.
However, the recent project from Face Lab brings a remarkable piece of history to light, combining technology, craftsmanship, and funerary practices to reveal how sophisticated these cultures’ understandings of human anatomy were, also hinting at their beliefs around death. They held “elaborate burial practices” that attempted to preserve their dead for modern viewers to remember in exquisite detail, Ancient Origins concludes.
