Archaeology Magazine - Bodies of the Bogs - Reconstructions


Reconstructions	"Bodies of the Bogs"

One of the most spectacular techniques used in bog body research is the reconstruction of facial features. This can only be done if the skull is well preserved, or if it can be reconstructed. Clay or wax is used to model soft tissues on a faithful copy of the skull to which are added artificial eyes, skin, and hair. The exact thickness of the tissues in many different parts of the skull has been determined by research among modern populations. The final version of the reconstructed head is executed in plaster, clay, or wax. A wax version with colorful artificial eyes and a wig give a particularly convincing impression of what the individual looked like shortly before his or her death. Such reconstructions have been made of the heads of Lindow Man (left: British Museum, London, United Kingdom), Windeby Boy (center: Archäologisches Landesmuseum, Schleswig, Germany), and Yde Girl (right: Drents Museum, Assen, the Netherlands).

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