See what a woman, a priest and a bishop looked like in the Middle Ages. Their faces are alive

In 1957, workers came across three skeletons in a medieval crypt in Scotland. Scientists knew little about them.

Now, almost 60 years later, researchersused forensics and technology to finally depict the faces of these people. Experts used 3D facial reconstructions to digitally bring them to life.

The work was carried out as part of The Whithorn initiativeTrust, the Scottish charity that runs Whithorn Priory, one of Scotland's first Christian communities and the site where the skeletons were found. The aim of the project is to uncover information about the lifestyles, diets and health of people from Scotland's distant past.

Facial reconstructions of a priest (left) and a bishop using 3D technology. Image courtesy of Chris Rinn

Chris Wrynn, forensic anthropologist from Scotland,used a combination of technology and practical methods to reconstruct three skulls - a young woman, a priest and Bishop Walter, the last of whom became bishop of the community in 1209. The work was carried out at the National Museum of Scotland.

In the course of the work, the anthropologist created 3D scans of each skull. To make the faces look as natural as possible, the scientist sculpted the muscles from wax, and then scanned them in the same way as the bones.

Facial reconstruction of a woman from medieval Scotland. Image courtesy of Chris Wrynn

The result is three amazingly realistic 3D reconstructions. The anthropologist used artificial intelligence to make the portraits seem alive.

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