Face-to-face with an ancient human (Norway - 7,500 YO)

University of Stavanger ^ | October 20, 2011 | Text: Karen Anne Okstad Translation: Rolf Gooderham

[decimon]

A reconstruction based on the skull of Norway’s best-preserved Stone Age skeleton makes it possible to study the features of a boy who lived outside Stavanger 7 500 years ago.

“It is hoped that this reconstruction is a good likeness and that, if someone who knew him in life had been presented with this restoration, they would hopefully have recognised the face”, says Jenny Barber, an MSc student at the University of Dundee in Scotland.

She has scientifically rebuilt the face of the strong and stocky Viste Boy, who lived in the Vistehola cave near Stavanger, so that people can now look him right in the eye.

Ms Barber is studying forensic art, an unusual discipline embracing such elements as human anatomy and identification in order to recreate the appearance of an actual person.

This modelling method is primarily employed to assist police investigations, and is little known or used in Norway. But the country’s most extensive reconstruction of a Stone Age skeleton has now been achieved.

[decimon]

I think that belongs in the sheep’s head thread.

[rarestia]

I admit I didn’t read the whole article. Thank you for doing my homework for me.

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks decimon. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[SunkenCiv]

LOL!

[shibumi]

What do you think, folks?

Has he been found?

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

lolol

[afraidfortherepublic]

We need a profile to clearly appreciate the “boat head” aspect of this model. The article called it a “congenital deformity”, but couldn’t it also be the way the mother carried the baby after he was born? for instance, American Indians used to have flat heads in the back because they were bound to papoose boards. Did the Norwegians bind their babies into some kind of contraption to keep them still and easily portable before they were old enough to walk? Even as late as the 1960s, American women were cautioned to not put their babies to bed on their backs, or their heads would become mishapen. Of course the advice is totally opposote now.

[50mm]

I miss suvroc. Free Republic isn’t the same without him.

[gleeaikin]

Yes, I would agree that this murderer seems to have the same skull abnormality. Does anyone know if that shape correlates with any mental disturbance/illness?

[decimon]

Scaphocephaly

[aruanan]

I know someone with scaphocephaly. When he was playing football in high school they had to have a helmet designed especially for him.