A Queen Died 1.2K Years Ago. Now, See Her Face

By Arden Dier

December 13, 2017

The gold ornaments in her ears stand out among the dark hair, sprinkled with gray. 

Like the lined face, the corners of the mouth drooping slightly; it's a sign of her ageā€”the roughly 60 years she spent on Earth, as opposed to the 1,200 years that have passed since. Yet the woman dubbed the "Huarmey Queen" has been reborn from a skeleton discovered in an undisturbed Wari tomb at El Castillo de Huarmey in Peru in 2012, reports National Geographic

Beginning with a 3D model of her skull, expert Oscar Nilsson reconstructed her muscle and flesh using photographs of indigenous peoples from the region. To the preserved hairline, he added real hair from Andean women of similar age. Forming the lines of the face by hand, Nilsson added gold flares to the ears, just like those found in the noblewoman's private tomb chamber.

Read the full story on Newser.com

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