Dawn is a beautiful name that conjures images of a serene morning spent watching the sun rise. However, for one very special teenager her name brings to mind the dawn of human civilization itself. That might seem strange, but it’s not, because that’s when she lived: 9,000 years ago. And scientists have just brought her back by reconstructing her face. Although she doesn’t seem happy about it.
Using CT scans and 3D-printing, an international team of scientists have made a silicone recreation of the remains of a teenage girl whose bones were found in 1993 in a cave in central Greece in Thessaly. “Dawn,” who lived around 7,000 BC during the Mesolithic period has a protruding jaw, possibly from chewing on animal skin to turn it into soft leather (please though, complain about your slow internet service). It’s also possible she dealt with anemia and scurvy, as well as pain and difficulty moving in her joints, all of which might have contributed to her young death between the ages of 15 and 18.
WATCH: Face of a 9,000 year-old Greek teenager reconstructed by team of scientists https://t.co/9f9eXgLuOx via @ReutersTV pic.twitter.com/w3NwCLCyBR
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 29, 2018
That we can use technology for this purpose is incredible. It brings the past to life in a more intimate way than we’ve previously experienced. You can meet Dawn while she’s on exhibit at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece.
What do you find most interesting about how one of our ancestors looked only 9,000 years ago? Share your reaction in our comments section below.
Featured Image: VOA News
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