OLD FACE, NEW FASHIONS

Submitted by Editor on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 13:57

Readers may remember that human remains were recovered last year during excavation of South Leith Parish Church.

Today, Trams to Newhaven have released facial reconstructions of how one of those excavatees might have looked in life during the late Middle Ages (below), and how she might look now if she were alive today (foot of page).

The same underlying skull appears throughout.

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The images were made in partnership with Dundee University, where experts used 3D scanners to bring us a possible likeness of the young woman, aged between 25 and 35.

They offer a fascinating insight. However, to Spurtle's untutored eye, the medieval version looks implausibly fresh-faced and well scrubbed. And the modern version, whilst capturing the benefits of contemporary hair product, fails to address the modern commonplaces of nose studs, neck tattoos, eyes fixed downwards into a mobile phone, and facial features obscured behind candy-scented vape.

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