A man with brown hair: scientists “restored” the face of a crucifixion victim of the Roman Empire
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Scientists have reconstructed the face of a man from a Roman settlement who was crucified more than 1,500 years ago.
The skeleton of a man with a nail in his heel was found in Fenstanton, Cambridgeshire in 2017.
Analysis of the remains showed that the man had lived in Cambridgeshire all his life and most likely had brown hair and brown eyes, the BBC reports.
Scientists assumed that he was engaged in physical labor. Perhaps he made soap from animal bones, which were also found during excavations.
| Reconstruction of the face of the crucified man. Source: IMPOSSIBLE FACTUAL/BBC |
The skeleton from the village of Fenstanton is the only one of its kind in the British Isles, say the University of Cambridge.
Cambridge University osteoarchaeologist Corina Duhigg believes it is the “best-preserved” example of a Roman-era crucifix anywhere in the world.
The crucified man suffered before his death, the researcher adds. There were signs of infection or inflammation on his legs, which could indicate that the man had been bound or shackled.
Earlier, scientists assumed that he could have been a slave. However, he was still buried according to the standard in one of the cemeteries of the community.
The face of the deceased was “animated” by Professor Joe Mullins from George Mason University in the USA.
The reconstruction of the face was shown on the BBC Four programme.
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| Photo: University of Cambridge |
It will be recalled that the skeleton of an executed man was found in 2017 during excavations in five small Roman cemeteries, which contained the remains of 40 adults and five children.
The graves date mainly from the 4th century AD. Most of the people buried there had signs of poor health.
The inhabitants of the Roman settlement were found to have dental diseases, malaria and physical injuries, in particular, fractures.
There, scientists found the skeleton of a man with a 5-centimeter iron nail in his right heel.
Dental analysis suggests the man was between 25 and 35 years old at the time of his death and was about 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) tall.
Radiocarbon dating also indicated that he died between 130 and 360 AD.
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| A nail in a man’s heel. Photo: University of Cambridge |
Next to the man lay 12 iron nails and a wooden board. Scholars assume that he was placed on this board after being taken down from the cross.
The researchers discovered the “13th nail” in the heel already in the laboratory when the bones were being washed.
Next to the main hole in the heel was another one – a little smaller. This may indicate that the man was nailed to the cross several times, but the first attempt was unsuccessful.
Although crucifixion was common in the Roman world, osteological evidence of the practice is extremely rare, as not all crucifixion victims were buried.
Along with human remains, archaeologists found many Roman artifacts: enamel brooches, many coins, decorated pottery, animal bones.
Also, there were once buildings and roads at the excavation site, indicating the presence of an organized Roman settlement with signs of trade and wealth.
Archaeologists say that the settlement could have existed as a formal stopping place for travelers, around which a village appeared.
Read also: Israeli scientists announced that they found the tomb of the “midwife of Jesus”. PHOTO
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