Researchers recreate 2,500-year-old faces from skulls found in Tamil Nadu
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Researchers have digitally reconstructed the faces of two men who lived about 2,500 years ago, using skulls discovered at Kondagai in Tamil Nadu.
The team at Liverpool John Moores University’s Face Lab created highly realistic portraits by building muscle, fat, and skin around 3D scans of the skulls.
They used reference data from modern South Asian populations to guide features like eyes, nose, and mouth, resulting in lifelike faces with deep-set eyes and expressive details.
The skulls are believed to date back to around 580 B.C., during the early urban civilization period in Tamil Nadu.
Initial studies suggest that both men were between 50 and 60 years old when they died. The researchers CT-scanned each skull to create precise 3D models and then digitally added soft tissues, using average South Indian skin, hair, and eye colors.
Caroline Wilkinson, director of Face Lab, stated that these reconstructions help “understand people from the past.” She also mentioned that DNA studies might refine these portraits further.
The Kondagai site is linked to the ancient city of Keeladi, a highly developed Iron Age settlement.
Recent archaeological finds, such as a terracotta water pipe, reveal the advanced hydraulic engineering used by its inhabitants. Experts believe the Keeladi people used an early form of Tamil script, had brick homes with tiled roofs, and implemented efficient water management systems. These discoveries highlight the sophistication of the urban culture that once thrived on the plains of South India.