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What Our Ancestors May Have looked Like...

If you are curious to know what ancient people really looked like, these portraits, though highly subjective representations of the artists' point of view depict just that. Advanced technology has helped scientists recreate the appearance of ancient people using forensic facial reconstruction. This technology recreates the face of a person through the structure and anatomy of their skull. Take a look at the different reconstructions of ancient people's appearances below - some of whom have lived hundreds, even thousands of years ago. 
 
 
1. Neolithic man
what our ancestors looked like
Pictured above is a man who lived during the Neolithic period, buried approximately 5,500 years ago in the territory of modern Great Britain. He was born 500 years before the first Stonehenge stone was laid. The man depicted here was between 25 to 40 years old. 
2. Ava, a woman from the Bronze Age
what our ancestors looked like
This young woman, named Ava, died about 3,700 years ago. Her remains were unearthed in Scotland in a grave carved into a rock. Ava is likely to have come from the Beaker people. Her appearance was recreated thanks to Scottish archeologist Maya Hoole and forensic artist Hew Morrison. 
3. Tutankhamun
what our ancestors looked like
Tutankhamun, the most important Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt ruled around 1332-1323 BC. He assumed the throne at just age 10 and died before he turned 20. Fortunately for thorough research and computerized tomography of his mummy in 2005, we are able to see the recreated appearance of the Boy King. 
4. A girl from Ancient Greece
what our ancestors looked like
This is the recreation of a girl who lived in Athens in approximately 430 BC. About this time, Greek civilization was going through a blossoming period. It was discovered that the girl likely died at the age of 11. 
5. Gaius Julius Caesar
what our ancestors looked like
Depictions of what the Roman leader may have looked like vary. But a true depiction of what the Roman leader looked like appears at the National Museum of Antiquities in the Netherlands, whereby scientists had to scan a marble bust from the museum's collection. 
6. An ancient Roman man who died in Pompeii
what our ancestors looked like
The catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius destroyed ancient Roman towns Pompeii and Herculaneum on August 24, 79 A.D. Some sources state that about 16,000 to 20,000 people died during the natural disaster. A British medical examiner recreated the face of an ancient man based on an X-ray and other skull characteristics. Scientists were unable to identify who the man may have been. They couldn't identify his social status or say anything about his life. 
7. A woman from Ancient Rome who died in Herculaneum
what our ancestors looked like
Depicted here is a young woman, one of the 20 people who tried to hide from the Vesuvius eruption in the boathouse. It is presumed that she came from a wealthy family. 
8. A young man from the Middle Ages
what our ancestors looked like
It is believed that this boy is aged somewhere between 13 and 17 years old and lived during the Middle Ages in Scotland. He was presumed to have been treated in a hospital and died there. Using forensic medical modeling, scientists were able to recreate the boy's facial muscles and tissues. They then used a computer program to recreate his facial features. 
 
9. Richard III, King of England
what our ancestors looked like
The King of England and the last of the Plantagenets lived in the second half of the 15th century. In Shakespeare's play, Richard III was portrayed as a cruel and cunning king. However, scientists argue about his personality, finding it hard to discover the truth within the walls of the palace. The King's remains were discovered in a parking lot several years ago and based on this data and the examination of the king's skull, scientists were able to create this plastic model of his face.
10. Henry IV, King of France
what our ancestors looked like
Henry IV, (1553-1610) is known as the founder of the Royal Dynasty of Bourbon. King Henry cared about his people and the country. He was murdered at the age of 57 by a fanatic. Based on his skeletal material, scientists created quite an accurate computer model of Henry IV's appearance. 
11. Johann Sebastian Bach
what our ancestors looked like
Eminent composer Johann Sebastian Bach lived and created his works in both the 17th and 18th centuries. The composer left behind more than 1,000 musical works. His works cover a variety of genres, except for opera. This recreation was based on the structure of his skull. 
12. Maximilien Robespierre
what our ancestors looked like
Scientists created a 3D reconstruction of Maximilien Robespierre's face based on his death mask. Though the result turned out to contradict the perceived image of the famous revolutionary.
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