The reconstructed face is based on the remains of Hinat, a Nabataean woman.
Saudi Arabia has unveiled the reconstructed face of a Nabataean woman who lived more than 2,000 years ago, according to a report in The National. The face has gone on display to the public after several years of work by historians and archeologists, the outlet further said. The Nabataeans were part of an ancient civilisation that lived in the Arabian peninsula. The ancient Jordanian city of Petra was the capital of the kingdom, as per a report in the CNN.
The reconstructed face is based on the remains of Hinat, who was discovered in a tomb in Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The National said that the remains of 69 others were found in the tomb along with Hinat.
The complex reconstruction was carried out after merging the scientific input with artistic flair. The UK-based project was funded by Royal Commission for AlUla.
"What's really interesting is when we think of the Nabataeans, we think of monuments and we think of scale and these feats of architecture. What this project has enabled us to do is narrow down to an individual, which gives us an insight in a very different way," Leila Chapman, narrative experience expert at the Royal Commission for AlUla, told The National.
"It tells us Hegra wasn't just a place of tombs, but a vibrant place where people lived and worked and died. It's lovely to be reminded," she added.
Describing the project, CNN said that the team of experts rebuilt bone fragments found in the tomb to create an image of her using ancient data. A 3D printer was then used to sculpt the face of the woman.
"The Nabataeans are a bit of a mystery: We know a lot, but at the same time we know very little because they didn't leave any literary texts or records. Excavating this tomb was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about their idea of the afterlife," Archeologist Laila Nehme, the director of the project, told National Geographic.
Experts said they were aware that the project involved human remains, so it was carried out in a respectful way, including carrying out a CAT scan of Hinat's skull.