Facial Reconstruction

YAC Attack 131! Facial Reconstruction

Reconstructing the faces of our ancestors can offer us a fascinating glimpse into the past.

• How is facial reconstruction done?
• Why it is useful in archaeology?
• How we know whether it is accurate?

Learn about facial reconstruction and then it is your turn to try it out.

Reconstruction can offer us a fascinating glimpse into the past. Facial reconstruction is the process of rebuilding a person’s face, usually in clay or plasticine, over their skull. It is often used in archaeology to depict the faces of our ancestors. You may have even seen examples in your local museum or on television.

How do the experts know from someone’s bones what they might have looked like? Although you might not think so at first, every skull is just as unique as the face it supports. Some are bigger, some rounder, some longer and some thinner. The size and shape of the skull determines what the face will look like. Experts can ‘read’ the details of the bones to get clues about the face. For example, the shape of the end of the jaw bone can indicate whether you have a dimpled chin or not.

Find out all about how facial reconstruction is done, why it is useful in archaeology, and how we know whether it is accurate.

ACTIVITY: Try and make your very own reconstructed face

The instructions below will help you . You can also download a useful table which gives you information on facial reconstruction peg depths for different types of people.

• Reconstruction Information & Facial Reconstruction Activity Sheet
• Reconstruction Excavation & Recording Sheet