Face to face with your ancestors
Fleshing the bones —
a lecture by Dr Caroline Wilkinson
Cambridge University, UK,
30 September 2004
 Dr
Caroline Wilkinson, an expert in facial re-construction, gave
a fascinating insight into her research at the Cambridge and
Great Eastern Regional Group event at the end of September. Dr Wilkinson
has previously engrossed listeners at her talks given at SCI
Regional Group events. Her work lets us take a closer look into our
ancestors’ lives.
Dr Wilkinson, who is based at the unit of Art in Medicine
at Manchester University, UK, is well known through her television
appearances on archaeology programmes such as Meet the
Ancestors (BBC2) and Secrets of the Dead (Channel
4). A current exhibition at the British Museum, London —
‘Mummy: the inside story’ — demonstrates
the modern scanning and imaging techniques she uses.
Dr Wilkinson’s work includes facial reconstruction from
skeletal remains and skull re-assembly for use in forensic
and archaeological investigations. Using state-of-the-art
technology, Dr Wilkinson has solved a 3000-year-old mystery,
identifying the face of Nesperennub, priest of Karnak, without
removing a single bandage. She has also been involved in many
archaeological investigations ranging from the facial reconstruction
of Grauballe man (an Iron Age Danish bog body) to Lady X (a
Royal mummy from the Egyptian Museum of Cairo).
Whether she is involved with an Egyptian mummy or assisting
the police with forensic investigations, her work is never
in short supply.
 John
Wilkins adds: Dr Wilkinson explained how the human face
develops from childhood into maturity and on into old age,
and how its external physical features can be related to the
bones of the skull beneath.
To the expert, the skull can provide clues to the sex, age,
stature and racial origin of the deceased. The Manchester
method of facial reconstruction which was developed with her
colleague Richard Neave, combines average skin thickness predictions
with muscular attachment modelling, to produce remarkably
accurate facial likenesses.
She has also pioneered the use of computerised techniques
which greatly facilitate the reconstruction process. Previously
the skull fragments were carefully pieced together with wax
and support struts, and strips of clay were used to build
up the external features.
Facial reconstruction has been used in forensic investigations
and in archaeological and anthropological research. She presented
several fascinating examples, including that of Nesperennub,
priest of Karnak, whose face was reconstructed from a CT scan
of his unopened 3000-year-old mummy. Nesperennub is the subject
of the current British Museum exhibition.
The event was held at Cambridge University, UK, on 30 September
2004 at 7pm. For more information contact Jayshree Mistry,
T: +44 (0)1279 627624 or E:
jayshree.mistry-1@gsk.com.
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