Reconstruction of Saxon Man's Face

Angela

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As always, who knows how much artistic license was taken.

Anyway, this is the link to the article:
http://www.archaeology.org/news/3431-scotland-saxon-man-facial-reconstruction

" DUNDEE, SCOTLAND—Forensic experts at the University of Dundee have reconstructed the face of a Saxon man whose skeleton was unearthed at a previously unknown church discovered on the grounds of Lincoln Castle, which was built by William the Conqueror. Radiocarbon dating of the remains showed the man died sometime between A.D. 1035 and 1070, or just before the Norman Conquest. His skeleton, which showed a range of significant degenerative bone diseases suggestive of a strenuous life, was one of eight discovered at the site, and was unusually well preserved. “His grave lay slightly under an important sarcophagus burial, which had resulted in excellent preservation of his skull [that made] it the best candidate among the skeletons for facial reconstruction,” said forensic artist Caroline Erolin in a University of Dundee press release. Osteological examination of the remains shows the man was between 36 and 45 years old when he died, and isotope analysis of his bones and teeth indicate that he was born and bred in eastern England. To read about the excavation of an early Anglo-Saxon site, go to "The Kings of Kent."

saxon-01_3328944b.jpg



This is a picture of the same reconstruction. The angle and lighting is different than for the one in the article:
saxonman001.jpg
 
Interesting he can be a modern English imo...
 
I would say that he looks more local (celtic?) than Germanic, though I'm not familiar with original Saxon morphology.
 
I would say that he looks more local (celtic?) than Germanic, though I'm not familiar with original Saxon morphology.

It's all art
I agree he doesn't show the more frequent features of old Anglo-Saxons. I regret she gives him head hair masking the crana features and we have here only an angle of view.
For the most Anglo-Saxons types were dolichocephalic, high enough skulled somewhat keeled, and their faces according to my readings (I 'm too young to have known them too well) and facially more often on the Dane model of 'nordic': a face between long index (as 'corded' and classical 'nordic') and middle index, and broad enough inferior mandibule: surely a mix of more classical eurypropospe 'cromagnoid' (less) and true leptoprospope 'nordic' (more): evidently every type of previous faces came back in some frequence but the mean was a rather midlle index face.
this man seems having a middle index face (mesoprospe) on the way to euryprosope, but lacks the strength of the 'cromagnoid' element. It evocates to me rather a 'long-barrow' type influenced man. Even the root of his nose and the external aperture of eyes sockets could confirm that. All that guesses upon an unique picture of reconstructed skull and face, as too often. Long-Barrows megalithic men like the ones of Britain put feet upon Scandinavia shores too, and seem having taken part in the Tricherbecher/Funnelbeaker synthesis; so not impossible even if the less evaporate remnants of them in living populations are today rather in remote corners of Wales....
 
Is it just me, or does he strongly resemble Joffrey Barthaeon?
 

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