Death masks ‘removed’ from Colombian mummies for first time to reveal faces
Ancient secrets revealed as mummies’ faces digitally rebuilt
- Researchers have digitally reconstructed the faces of four Colombian mummies, shedding new light on the cultural practices of South America’s indigenous people.
- The mummies, dating from 1216AD to 1797AD, include a child, a woman in her 60s, and two young adult males from pre-Hispanic populations in the Colombian Andes.
- The reconstruction process involved using CT X-ray scans to digitally remove the mummies’ death masks and generate virtual 3D images of the skulls underneath.
- Specialised software was then employed to add muscles, soft tissue, and fat, based on anatomical standards and data from modern adult Colombians, to create accurate facial likenesses.
- The masks are described as being of extraordinary workmanship and unique to Colombia.