Here’s What Famous Historical Figures Actually Looked Like

This article originated on eightieskids.com

The images of famous historical figures have been immortalized in sculptures, portraits, and paintings that were made while they were alive, but it is possible that these works of art were not that accurate. In some cases, those who commissioned the works of art ordered artists to flatter the subject. Thanks to modern technology, however, we can now find out what historical figures looked like. Keep reading to see what some famous figures in history looked like!

King Tut

The Egyptian pharaoh King Tutankhamun reigned from 1332 until 1323 BC, during the New Kingdom era of Egypt. In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered King Tut’s tomb, which had been sealed for over 3,200 years. Completely intact, the tomb contained treasures and artifacts meant to accompany the young pharaoh in the afterlife. King Tut only reigned for around ten years before he passed away and scientists discovered what had contributed to the young pharaoh’s death after they found out what he looked like.

What King Tut Looked Like

When DNA studies were carried out on Tut’s mummy, scientists found out that he had quite a few health problems which contributed to his death. Even though Tut was tall, he was frail, had a bone disorder, suffered from several bouts of malaria, and had an infected broken leg when he died. There is also evidence that he had a club foot, a disadvantage of inbreeding, which was traditional at the time (his mother and father were siblings). These revelations are possible explanations for some aspects of the life of King Tut, the only pharaoh who is pictured doing all things sitting down, including archery.

Emperor Nero

When he was only 17 years old, Nero became the Roman Emperor, the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. In his fifth year as emperor, he had his mother killed. He was also known for making public appearances as an actor, charioteer, poet, and musician, which many believed undermined his authority. The middle and upper classes detested him after he raised taxes to fund extravagant private and public works for his empire. Modern technology enabled artists to find out what the emperor looked like.

What Nero Looked Like

In 2019, Spanish artists made a lifelike rendering of the Roman Emperor based on descriptions, drawings, and busts of Nero. They got Nero’s attributes perfectly, including his chinstrap and arrogant smirk. In 64 A.D. there was a fire that consumed Rome, but Nero dressed up and sang on the roof of the palace. Before others could execute him, Nero killed himself saying, “What an artist dies in me!”

Nefertiti

The bust of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti, the Great Royal Wife of Akhenaten, is made of limestone, covered in stucco, and is believed to have been created by the sculptor Thutmose in Amarna, Egypt in 1345 B.C. The bust was discovered in Thutmose’s workshop in 1912. Based on the sculpture, the Egyptian queen was beautiful and had defined facial features. However, with 3D imaging, experts could determine what Nefertiti possibly looked like in person.

What Nefertiti Looked Like

In 2018, Travel Channel’s show Expedition Unknown utilized 3D imaging technology in scanning and digitally mapping the facial structure of “The Younger Lady,” a mummy believed to be Nefertiti. The true identity of the mummy remains hotly debated, though. After the face of the mummy was scanned, it took 500 hours for paleoartist Elisabeth Daynes to recreate the face that was on the bust, which was based on Nefertiti’s historical images. It seems that this project has proven that “The Younger Lady” was Nefertiti, but upon the release of the image, there was a lot of controversy surrounding the color of the Egyptian queen’s skin.

Robert The Bruce

Robert the Bruce, also called Robert I, was the king of Scots who reigned from 1306 until 1329. He secured the independence of Scotland from England after he waged a successful guerrilla war against the English. In June 1314, he won the Battle of Bannockburn but the defeated Edward II still did not give up the overlordship of Scotland. This caused the earls, barons, and the people of Scotland to write a letter to Pope John XXII saying that Robert I was the rightful monarch.

What Robert The Bruce Looked Like

Although Robert the Bruce is not depicted in any contemporary works of art, researchers at the University of Glasgow used casts from the skull believed to belong to the king of Scots. In the past, however, artists would use word of mouth and their imaginations to make statues and portraits of Robert I. Researchers used Face Lab technology as well as legal and archaeological evidence to create his likeness. In 1324, Robert the Bruce was recognized by the Pope as the king of independent Scotland, though he passed away five years later.

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar was a war general and Roman politician who is mainly responsible for the Roman Empire’s expansion. He crossed the Rhine River and the English Channel and subsequently invaded Britain. After refusing to step down from command to avoid arrest, Caesar re-entered Roman Italy from Gaul under arms, which lead to a civil war. There have been many sculptures of him like this one here, but in 2018, a realistic rendering of the military genius’s head was created.

What Julius Caesar Looked Like

A lifelike bust of Julius Caesar can be found in Leiden’s National Museum of Antiquities. One of Caesar’s marble portraits was scanned using 3D technology and the results were used to create this 3D reconstruction. After the Roman civil war that Caesar won, he began reigning as a dictator, starting governmental and social reforms and even granting citizenship to people who lived in the Roman Empire’s farthest regions. The Senate’s elite members were not pleased by Caesar’s reign, so they assassinated him in 44 B.C.

Cleopatra

Cleopatra ruled over Egypt for almost three decades. At 18, she ascended the throne, alongside her brother Ptolemy XIII, who was 10 years old, after their father died. In 49 B.C., her brother’s advisers succeeded in running Cleopatra out of Egypt, but with Julius Caesar’s help, she was reinstated a few years later with her brother, Ptolemy XIV. Cleopatra gave birth to Ptolemy Caesar, who is believed to be Caesar’s son. In 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was murdered and shortly after, Ptolemy XIV died, so Cleopatra ruled Egypt with her son.

What Cleopatra Looked Like

Cleopatra could speak multiple languages and was well-educated, so she became the dominant ruler when she was co-regent. In addition, she was considered an exotic beauty who used the powers of seduction and was known for her alliances and romantic relations with the rulers of other empires. 3D artists used existing sculptures and portraiture to determine what Cleopatra looked like. The Egyptian queen’s masculine features and prominent nose might be surprising to some who watched Elizabeth Taylor portray Cleopatra in film.

Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I ruled over Ireland and England from 1558 until 1603. Her father was King Henry VIII and her mother was his second wife Anne Boleyn. However, the marriage was annulled when Anne died, so Elizabeth was regarded as illegitimate. Because of this, it took Elizabeth a few years to ascend the throne, which happened in 1558. Although many paintings depict what Elizabeth looked like, in 2018, Mat Collishaw, a mixed media artist, brought things to another level.

What Queen Elizabeth I Looked Like

What Collishaw created was a hyper-realistic animatronic mask with eyes that follow you around and with a mouth that opens as if it is about to speak. A mirror is attached to the mask, which is now displayed across the Armada Portrait at the Queen’s House. The famous Armada portrait shows a youthful Elizabeth, but she was 55 years old when it was painted, and the mask is more accurate in showing what the Virgin Queen might have looked like during that time. Some might say that Queen Elizabeth’s actual face is more or less the same as in her portraits.

William Shakespeare

There is still a lot of debate over what William Shakespeare looked like, though many historians and scholars agree that the most accurate is this engraving made by Martin Droeshout. The man who created literary classics, such as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, surely had some facial hair despite a receding hairline. In 1975, Professor Hildegard Hammerschmidt-Hummel discovered the death mask of William Shakespeare in London. In the 1800s, death masks were made by using plaster or wax over a dead person’s face. There is an ongoing debate over the fact that the mask may not be that of Shakespeare, but someone decided to make it the real thing.

What William Shakespeare Looked Like

In 2010, Dundee University’s Dr. Caroline Wilkinson used Shakespeare’s alleged death mask to make a rendering of his face. Wilkinson used 3D imaging on the mask to map every feature of Shakespeare’s face and created this rather somber rendering. Most would agree that Wilkinson’s depiction is to some extent similar to other interpretations out there, except for the fact that Shakespeare’s entire head is not seen here. The literary genius died when he was 52 years old on April 23, 1616.

George Washington

George Washington was the very first United States President from 1789 until 1797. After winning the War for Independence with the Patriot forces, Washington was unanimously elected as president of the 1787 Constitutional Convention and was integral in the establishment of a new federal government. A highly revered historical figure in the United States, the Founding Father is everywhere, that is, his face is everywhere like on a dollar bill, a quarter, in numerous government buildings and museums all over the country. People are quite familiar with his face, though it was only recently when what he looked like came to light.

What George Washington Looked Like

Researchers compared painted portraits to detailed renderings to make this computer-generated picture of Washington and to prove that many of his portraits are quite authentic. This image is so realistic you can even see Washington’s full head of hair (which was real and white in his day) and his five o’clock shadow. Washington died at the age of 67 on December 14, 1799, after having complications from a sore throat.

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary Stuart, more popularly known as Mary, Queen of Scots, reigned from 1542 to 1567. Sadly, her father died a few days after her birth, making her the queen only six days after she was born. Her mother sent her to France so that Mary could be in French court while growing up and she returned to Scotland in 1559. Do you think this painting shows what she looked like at the time?

What The Queen Of Scots Looked Like

Dundee University’s Professor Caroline Wilkinson used drawings and paintings to create a 3D face of Mary, the Queen of Scots. In addition, Wilkinson drew upon biographical info to avoid her artwork’s highly stylized depictions. This rendering of the Queen of Scots is not too different from how her classic paintings depicted her but you can still spot the difference. Mary’s nose, however, is the feature that remained closest to the original.

Richard III

King Richard III ruled over England for two years (1483-1485), but his reputation has been regarded as less than honorable as time has gone by. He was labeled a tyrant In Shakespeare’s play and the end, he was replaced by the Tudors. In the 1485 Battle of Bosworth Field, Richard III courageously led a charge into Henry Tudor’s army. His clan’s quick defeat followed that move!

What Richard III Looked Like

It was only in 2012 when it became possible to recreate this image of Richard III since his body was lost after he died. In 2012, a team of researchers looked through clues that brought them to the underground parking lot where they found his body and exhumed it. Many members from Dundee University helped create this image that depicts what Richard might have looked like when he was alive. Since there are no realistic paintings of him, researchers needed to use historical records.

Meritamun

Did you know that Meritamun means “beloved of the god Amun”? Researchers from the University of Melbourne introduced this queen to us when they looked through their archives and discovered her skull. She was naturally from ancient Egypt, so how her skull managed to travel across the globe is quite perplexing. She was one of the Great Royal Wives of Pharaoh Ramesses the Great and her burial place was the Valley of the Queens in Egypt.

What Meritamun Looked Like

There is not a lot about Meritamun that researchers could find mainly because they only had her skull, but they still managed to gather some information, such as the former queen’s age at the time of her death. She is believed to have been between 18 to 25 years old at that time, but why she died remains a mystery. They also found out that she might have had a sweet tooth because of her tooth decay. It is not that surprising since Alexander the Great first brought sugar to Egypt around the time that she lived.

Jesus Christ

We are pretty sure that you have heard of Jesus Christ: the biblical figure who walked on water, turned water into wine, healed the blind, and rose from the dead. Jesus Christ gave up his life and got crucified on a cross for the greater good. A few renditions have been created to depict what Jesus looked like, but it appears that artists did not capture Jesus’ true essence.

What The Real Jesus Christ Might Have Looked Like

The Bible does not specifically describe the physical appearance of Jesus Christ and a lot of modern evidence indicates that Jesus does not look like how people have portrayed him over the centuries. There are also no skeletal remains or body parts that might have Jesus Christ’s DNA, so researchers relied only on forensic anthropology. When this image was created, the team of Israeli archeologists and British scientists who did the work used the methods commonly used in solving crimes. Do you think this is what Jesus looked like?

The Lord Of Sipan

In case you have never heard of The Lord of Sipan, he was the first of several discoveries which have been called the Moche mummies. He was originally found by Archaeologists in Peru back in 1987. This discovery is among the most significant that were made during the 20th century, and there were a lot of treasures buried with the body of the Lord of Sipan, similar to King Tut. We bet you are wondering how experts recreated this historical figure.

What The Lord Of Sipan Looked Like

The forensic team did not have an easy job, especially since pressure from the sediment, unfortunately, broke the skull during the excavation. Thankfully, modern technology helped a lot in the reconstruction of the 96 separate pieces of the broken skull. The team used photogrammetry (a process that uses cameras that are set up at different angles to create a 3D image) to reconfigure the skull. This image was produced by the Brazilian Team of Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Odontology.

Saint Anthony

Saint Anthony was born in Portugal in 1195. He passed away quite young at the age of 36, but he made a huge impact during his day, with his great ability to heal. The Catholic Church adores Saint Anthony since he was canonized as a saint quickly, the second-fastest to be exact. Only a year after he passed away, he was declared by the church the saint of lost things.

What Saint Anthony Looked Like

It has been said that when Saint Anthony died, children cried in the street and bells rang by themselves. His body was exhumed three decades after his death, but the researchers only had his tongue and jawbone to guide them. The team behind this recreation of Saint Anthony’s real face was composed of the University of St. Anthony of Padua’s Anthropology Museum researchers and a 3-D designer from the University of Sao Paolo.

King Henry IV

King Henry IV is popularly known as “Henry the Great” or “Good King Henry,” but some think that is amazing because of how his reign started. At the age of 19, he became the King of Navarre, and then two months later, he got married. Protestants flooded the city as they celebrated, but were quickly greeted with the “St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre.” King Henry IV almost did not make it out alive and needed to serve while in the French Court.

What King Henry IV Looked Like

The Good King is said to have managed to survive a total of 12 assassination attempts while he was alive. Researchers chose to recreate him because of his religious tolerance. The team behind this project is the same team that worked on Robespierre – facial reconstruction specialist Philippe Froesch and forensic pathologist Philippe Charlier. Sadly, The Good King did not manage to survive the 13th assassination attempt. In 1610, a Catholic man stabbed him with a dagger.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Born in Germany in 1685, Johann Sebastian Bach had a musical background and in his day, many regarded him as a great musician. However, history will tell you that he is among the best composers who ever lived and was the result of music’s golden age. Even as a young boy, he was already considered a musical prodigy when it came to the organ, though for the most part, he wrote music for the church. Many agree that very few composers come even close to Bach in terms of accomplishments.

What Bach Looked Like

Dundee University’s Dr. Caroline Wilkinson used a cast of the skull she believed to be Bach’s to recreate him. The genius composer was buried in a grave that was unmarked and almost lost to history. A century and a half later, renovations were needed at the church where Bach was laid to rest, which was a great opportunity to find him. They were able to find a skull thought to be the composer’s and it was used to create the image here.

Simón Bolívar

One of the world’s most influential figureheads, the Venezuelan military leader Simón Bolívar played an integral part in the country’s revolution against the Spanish Empire. He was born into considerable wealth and was sent to Spain to study, and he ended up joining the resistance movement. After the invasion of Spain by France, many called him “El Libertador,” which means The Liberator in English. He died in a different kind of battle – with the disease tuberculosis.

What Simón Bolívar Really Looked Like

If you thought that this image was based on a real human being, we would not be that surprised because looks can be deceiving. It took a forensic imagery team a whole year to pore through historical documents, with a little help from the government of Venezuela. After much research, the team was able to create this – a legendary representation of Simón Bolívar. Many might think he is very aesthetically pleasing, which is something you probably would not notice from paintings of him.

Nicolaus Copernicus

There was a time when people believed that Earth was the center of the universe, but thankfully, Nicolaus Copernicus’ theory made things clear. Born in 1473, Copernicus made a model of a sun-centered solar system that still stands true to this day. He was originally from Poland but his mind led him all over Europe during his lifetime. Too bad he is not around today because someone needs to tell the people who believe that the Earth is flat that they are wrong.

What Nicolaus Copernicus Looked Like

Old renditions of Nicolaus Copernicus do not do him justice since he is seen as gaunt and hollowed. It is only right that with the advancement of technology, someone would make a better rendering of the man responsible for opening our eyes to the truth about the universe. Even with this new depiction, he still looks a bit miserable. Some might say that is the price of genius, and Oscar Wilde did say that the ugly and stupid live the best lives.

The Lady of Cao

Even before the year 1990, researchers had already been excavating Peru’s El Brujo region, but it was only in 2005 when they unearthed a mummy that they named Lady of Cao. She had been in a simple cloth and her death was estimated to have happened around the year 400. Experts have assumed she belonged to the Moche people, who lived thousands of years before the Incas. She was mummified and various artifacts were buried with her, so it is assumed she came from aristocracy.

What The Lady Of Cao Looked Like

Not long after the Lady of Cao was discovered, her remains were brought to an El Brujo museum, where she is kept inside a climate-controlled room. She can only be viewed by looking through glass. Though she was brought back to life forensically, it remains a mystery what her actual role in society was, but she is believed to have died in her late twenties. She was buried with different objects and might have been a human sacrifice.

St. Nicholas

4th century Christian Saint Nikolaos of Myra, more popularly known as St. Nicholas, was a Bishop from Turkey, with a reputation for being extremely generous and an overall caregiver to others. Supposedly, he would leave presents in the shoes of children who left their footwear outside, spawning the Christmas holiday tradition we know today. St. Nicholas was an actual person, but his myth outgrew the real man’s reputation.

What St. Nicholas Looked Like

St. Nicholas may have been transformed into the Santa Claus of modern times, but the features of the man in the sleigh are far from being true. Considering that St. Nicholas was from Turkey, his complexion would have been darker and his facial traits more Middle Eastern. In the West, people tend to assume historical figures were white like they are. However, in reality, the historical figures looked like people who are from the regions where they were from.

Giovanni Battista Sidotti

Born in 1668, Giovanni Battista Sidotti was an Apostolic missionary who went to Japan to spread Christianity, something that was extremely dangerous to do in his day. When he arrived, he attempted to disguise himself as one of the Samurais but he failed. The Japanese then captured and imprisoned him until he died in 1714. For what he did, he is considered “the last missionary” and a Christian martyr.

What Giovanni Battista Sidotti Looked Like

Fortunately, the remains of Giovanni Battista Sidotti were found relatively intact in comparison with other historical figures who have been recovered. In 2014, his body was discovered in an excavation project which cost over 2 million yen. His remains made getting a more accurate depiction of the man much easier to do. His skull was damaged, but the forensic anthropologists had everything they needed to do their work, and according to them, this image is amazingly close to what might have looked like.

The Mycenean “Griffin Warrior”

In 2015, excavation was done on a tomb site discovered to date back to 1450 BC or during the Bronze Age. Inside the tomb, the remains of a male skeleton that was incredibly intact were found by archaeologists, along with 14,000 objects like weapons and jewelry. An engraving was also found in the tomb, possibly giving clues as to who the man was. The man’s identity remains unknown, but it is possible he was a Mycenaean priest or warrior.

What The Mycenean “Griffin Warrior” Might Have Looked Like

Based on the remains that were found, the man was estimated to be about five foot five inches, which would have been regarded as tall at the time. In addition, because of the combs that were discovered in the tomb, the Griffin Warrior was assumed to have had long hair. Physical anthropologists Tobias Houlton and Lynne Schepartz from the University of the Witwatersrand used the skull found to create a digital interpretation of the face of the man. It was concluded that the man had close-set eyes and a prominent jaw.

Dante Alighieri

Dante Alighieri is best known for The Divine Comedy and is considered to be among the most influential poets from Italy during the Late Middle Ages. The Divine Comedy is a description of the many aspects of Hell and also Heaven, many of which are now common establishments in Christianity. Aside from his poetry, Dante Alighieri is a respected philosopher, with his ideas still relevant to this day. In 1321, he passed away at 56 years old, which was a relatively advanced age in his day.

What Dante Alighieri Looked Like

A lot of the portraits which were created of Dante Alighieri are similar, so it seems that most people agreed upon his likeness. This helped in creating the CGI rendering of him, which has the same hooked nose and stern face common in a lot of the depictions of him. This was created by taking measurements of his skull which was found back in 1920. Compared to his portraits, this rendering shows him with bigger eyes, a softer facial expression, and a more rounded jaw.

Maximilien Robespierre

French lawyer Maximilien Robespierre was a prominent politician associated with the French Revolution. He openly advocated for universal manhood suffrage, religious tolerance, the abolition of celibacy, and abolishing slavery in the French colonies. He played an integral part in establishing the First French Republic and was elected deputy to the National Convention. However, he is best known for being a central figure during the “Reign of Terror” in France. Researchers have used modern technology, to determine what the French politician looked like.

What Maximilien Robespierre Looked Like

In 2013, Philippe Charlier, a forensic pathologist, and Philippe Froesch, a facial reconstruction specialist, teamed up to make a rendering of the face of the French Revolution’s poster boy. Aside from the artwork of Robespierre (created to flatter him), the two used Robespierre’s death mask, said to have been made by Madame Tussaud herself. She made the mask using Robespierre’s decapitated head. Robespierre was executed on July 28, 1794.

Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27th, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria, and died on December 5th, 1791 in Vienna. Mozart was an extremely talented and influential composer during the classical era. He first showed promise as a composer at a young age, an expert on both the violin and pianoforte. At only 5 years old, Mozart composed and performed for European royalty. During his career, Mozart composed over 600 works, including symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral music. He is extremely popular to this day, and his influence on Western music is extraordinary.

What Mozart Looked Like

After his untimely death, Mozart’s skull was uncovered. The facial reconstruction of the said composer is based on his conserved head by Pierre-François. Mozart is easily identifiable thanks to the poor bone rim protection of his eyes, lending a feminine look. He had prominent cheekbones and a rather short head. His blue eyes and white hairstyle are also brilliantly executed in this replica.

Ramses II

Ramses II, also known as Ramesses the Great, reigned during the 19th Dynasty, from 1279-1213 BC. The 3rd pharaoh of Egypt’s 19th Dynasty was born in 1303 BC and had between 48 and 50 sons, and between 40 and 53 daughters. He was 90 years old when he passed away in 1213 BC. He is regarded as the most powerful and the greatest pharaoh the New Kingdom has ever seen. 5 monuments pay tribute to him throughout Egypt.

What Ramses II Looked Like

Upon the death of Ramses II, he was buried in the tomb KV7 in the Valley of the Kings. At some point in time, his body was moved to a royal cache. Due to looting, priests moved his body, where they then rewrapped it and put it in Queen Ahmose Inhapy’s tomb. A mere 72 hours later, it was moved to priest Pinedjem II’s tomb. Hieroglyphics covering Ramses II’s coffin confirm this. In 1881, his remains were discovered and are now on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Tiberius

Tiberius reigned from 14 AD to 37 AD, when he succeeded Augustus. Tiberius was born in a Claudian family to Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His birth name was Tiberius Claudius Nero, the same as his father. Tiberius, the second Roman emperor, was born November 16, 42 BC in Rome, Italy, and died March 16, 37 AD in Miseno, Italy. Tiberius was quoted saying, “In a free state there should be freedom of speech and thought”.

What Tiberius Looked Like

Tiberius died when he was 78 years of age, but the cause of death is a bit mysterious. He was supposedly smothered with his sheets, but it is also said that he was poisoned by Caligula, his successor. Located on the Palatine Hill in Rome was the Tiberius Palace. The ruins are there to this day, a popular tourist spot. This wax figure of Tiberius shows the color of his eyes, as well as a distinct nose and bone structure.

Marcus Agrippa

Marcus Agrippa was born in 63 BC and later died in 12 BC. The Roman consul, statesman, general, and architect was best known for being the best friend and right-hand man of Emperor Augustus. Marcus was also the son-in-law of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. When you travel to Rome, most of the buildings you will see were designed by Marcus Agrippa. He was also the reason for the victory at the Battle of Actium against Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

What Marcus Agrippa Looked Like

Marcus Agrippa died at 51 years of age in Campania, Italy. Augustus honored his good friend by putting on a huge funeral and mourning for over 30 days. He also oversaw Marcus’ children, as well as their educations. Before his death, Marcus had built a tomb for himself, but it was never used. Instead, Augustus had Marcus’ remains placed in his very own mausoleum. Artists believe this is how Marcus Agrippa looked during his reign.

Huarmey Queen

The Huarmey Queen was one of the most important people in Peru’s Wari (Huari) culture. She and her people were located in the coastal areas of the Andes Mountains, as well as the south-central Andes, from 700 – 1000 AD. The Huarmey Queen is as old as the Great Pyramid of Giza. Archaeologists uncovered the Queen north of Lima in the Ancash region. Her remains were discovered in El Castillo de Huarmey (Huarmey’s Castle), a well-preserved pyramid mausoleum, along with 57 other noblewomen.

What The Huarmey Queen Looked Like

Unlike other virtual reconstructions, scientists gave the 1200-year-old an actual physical form, making her look quite realistic. The mummies of both the Huarmey Queen and the noblewomen were all found in a particular seated position, in rows of fives. As you can assume, the women were buried with incredible artifacts, along with silver bowls and gold, copper, and silver jewelry.

Saint Zdislava Berka

Saint Zdislava Berka is a Czech saint of the Roman Catholic Church. She was Havel of Markvartice, Duke of Lemberk’s wife. She was a very strict woman, but she was also very generous. She founded a convent and was officially recognized as a Saint on May 21, 1995. Zdislava was born in 1220 and later died in 1252 in the Czech Republic. She was born into a Moravian family who lived in Křižanov, in the South of the country

What Saint Zdislava Berka Looked Like

This is a 2018 digital forensic reconstruction of the woman herself. As you can see, it is very real looking, and virtual reconstructionists think this is what she would look like today. Her remains made it possible for them to achieve this realistic look, her cheekbones, and jaw structure still very much intact.

Trajan

Trajan was born in September of 53 and later died in August 117. He was in power as a Roman emperor from 98 until he died in 117. The Roman Senate declared Trajan Optimus Princeps aka “the best ruler”. He was recognized by many as one of the most successful soldier-emperors ever. The fact that he was in charge during one of the greatest military expansions in Roman history helps. Upon his death, the empire had attained its maximum territorial extent.

What Trajan Looked Like

Trajan’s facial reconstruction was based on the marble bust in the above photograph. The bust was unearthed by archeologists who estimate it was made in 113 AD. They assume that because of its quality, the artist must have seen the emperor in person. When they found the statue, it was dismembered into over 356 pieces due to an earthquake many years ago. Trajan’s reconstruction is so real looking thanks to the well-executed marble bust.

‘Ava’

In the Northern part of Scotland lies the site of Achavanich, a quite mysterious place thanks to the famous horseshoe-shaped arrangement of stones. In 1987, researchers reconstructed the face of a woman whose remains they found on the site. She was called ‘Ava’ and they concluded she was between 18 and 22 years old upon her death. Her skeletal remains date back to over 3,700 years ago.

What ‘Ava’ Really Looked Like

Thanks to archaeologists Maya Hoole and Hew Morrison of the ‘Achavanich Beaker Burial Project’ and their facial reconstruction of Ava, many details on the history and anthropology of the Bronze Age were discovered. Ava’s DNA made it possible for the scientists to give her a new look and us an idea of how she would have looked today.

Otzi The Iceman

Otzi The Iceman lived between 3400 and 3100 BCE. The well-preserved natural mummy was also called the Similaun Man, the Man from Hauslabjoch, the Tyrolean Iceman, and the Hauslabjoch mummy. He was discovered in September of 1991 in the Ötztal Alps between Austria and Italy. It is Europe’s oldest known natural human mummy and his body, along with his belongings are on display in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy.

What Otzi The Iceman Looked Like

Otzi the Iceman’s mummy has offered us a view into the Europeans of the Copper Age. Its body was so well-preserved because it was submerged in ice for around 5,300 years. This naturalistic reconstruction of Otzi could not have been done if his body was not found in such good condition. This allowed scientists and archaeologists to get a very good idea of how he would have looked many years ago.

Owain Glyndwr

Owain Glyndwr was a Welsh rebel who made it his goal to end English rule in Wales during the late Middle Ages. He was born in 1359 and later died in 1415, reigning from 1404 until his death. Owen Glendower was a character in William Shakespeare’s play Henry IV, Part 1. He was portrayed as an exotic and wild king ruled by emotion and magic.

What Owain Glyndwr Looked Like

The film ‘The Face of Glyndwr’ takes viewers on a journey into the face reconstruction of the medieval Welsh Prince himself. Using the latest 3D and CGI computer-generated technology, Owain Glyndwr comes to life. The expert facial reconstructionists say, “we have come as close as anyone ever will to finding out what the Welsh rebel looked like”.

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson is regarded as the most famous female poet in the United States. She was born in 1830 in Massachusetts and passed away in the year 1886. The young girl attended an all-girls school and was quite an isolated child, this way of life continuing into adulthood. In the year 1890, society came to finally appreciate the amazing poetry she wrote while in complete isolation.

What Emily Dickinson Looked Like

It is almost impossible to imagine Emily Dickinson today, but we can try our best thanks to modern technology. Isn’t it amazing that she is just as beautiful in her writing? Although she lived over 100 years ago, we have a good idea of what she would look like today.

Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette was born in 1755 as an Austrian Princess but soon became the Queen of France. She was the last Queen because the French Revolution came afterward. Marie had a fairly complicated life, often the pawn used to strengthen major allegiances in Europe. She was known for being quite decadent and for having an impressive reign as Queen.

What Marie Antoinette Looked Like

With a bit of technology, we get a glimpse of how Miss Marie Antoinette may have looked had she been alive today. It’s hard to imagine all of her expensive glitz and gowns having a place in fashion today, but a girl can dream! We bet this business-casual look is something she would wear to be more with the times.

Annie Oakley

American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter Annie Oakley was born in 1860 and passed away in 1926. At only 15 years old, her true talent was finally showcased when she won a match against marksman Frank E. Butler. The two later married and joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show soon after. One of Annie’s most famous quotes is, “I ain’t afraid to love a man, I ain’t afraid to shoot him either”.

What Annie Oakley Looked Like

Every single photograph on the internet of Annie Oakley is nothing short of stunning. Lucky for us, today we have an even better idea of how she would look thanks to reconstructive artists and their incredible work. She looks like she would fit perfectly into the 21st century!

What A 500 Year Old Dubliner Looked Like

Archaeologists found the remains of a 500-year-old man back in 2014. His and 4 other skeletons were found, all of which showed signs of malnutrition and heavy manual labor. Researchers believe this hints at a low-socioeconomic status. After preserving the skull, they were able to create a pretty accurate image of what he would have looked like today.

Jane Of Jamestown

Jane was just a young girl when she passed away, only 14 years old. She was eaten by her Jamestown co-settlers, her skull and leg bones uncovered in a cellar in 2012. Jane lived during the 17th century, a time when people did whatever they could to stay alive, even if that meant turning to cannibalism.

What Jane Of Jamestown Looked Like

A chief forensic anthropologist at the Smithsonian Institution’s ‘National Museum of Natural History, Dr. Douglas Owsley, examined Jane. He concluded that the marks and cuts on her were from attempts to separate tissue and brain from the bone. This made sense to the doctor since the people of Jamestown starved during the winter of 1609.

Mary Rose Archer

The Mary Rose warship sank in 1545 while attacking the French. The boat belonged to the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII and was later discovered almost 500 years later. Many of the crew members were uncovered and their results were examined. This archer on the ship was one of the said crewmen discovered.

What A Mary Rose Archer Looked Like

Although algae, as well as other organisms growing on the bodies, made it quite difficult to analyze, they somehow executed their work anyhow. They were able to identify quite a bit about this particular archer, concluding he was 6 feet tall and a long-bow wielder. A 3D print along with a facial reconstruction was done to give him life, today.

Robert Burns

Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns was born in 1759 and later died at 37 years old in 1796. His most famous works are “Auld Lang Syne” and “The Battle of Sherramuir”. Researchers used his skull to reproduce what he would look like today.

What Robert Burns Looked Like

Scotland’s national poet is still celebrated worldwide today. Researchers decided to make a facial reconstruction of what the famous man would look like had he been alive in this era. We think it’s pretty spot on!

What A Medieval Maiden From Edinburgh Looked Like

Forensic experts found a group of over 400 medieval men, women, and children at the South Leith Parish Church burial ground in Edinburgh, Scotland. The bodies were all excavated in 2009 during preparation for the country’s new train system. This medieval woman was found in a communal grave, but the cause of her death, and if it was connected to those buried with her, is unclear. Scientists’ best guess is that it was the plague or some other infectious disease that did her in.

What A Beachy Head Lady Looked Like

Experts thought Beachy Head Lady was a 3rd-century European Roman, that is until they took a closer look. After examining her once more, they realized she was a sub-Saharan African who lived in the Eastbourne area of the UK. Heritage Officer Jo Seaman said, “Whether that means that she’s the first generation, we don’t know. She could have been born in Africa and brought over here at a very young age, but it’s just as likely that she was born here.”

Early Neolithic Stonehenge Man

This well-preserved skeleton was discovered in an elaborate tomb in the 1860s which provides a rare example of the anatomy/ of Neolithic people. He is known as ‘Stonehenge Man’. With the help of skeletal analysis, the man, who was about 40 years old, can be dated back 5,500 years. He lived approximately 500 years before the first Stonehenge monument was built.

The Medieval Man

This Medieval Man lived around 700 years ago. His image was brought to life with the help of a lot of facial reconstruction technology which allowed researchers to analyze things such as his teeth and bones. Context 958 is currently part of research that is being done by Cambridge University to learn a lot more about Medieval Times. Furthermore, the study is looking to understand how these people lived and died. It is believed that this man was most likely a patient in St. John’s hospital.

Arish

Young Man of Byrsa is known as the Phoenician man who lived in Carthage, now it is called Tunisia more than 2500 years ago. It is also believed that he was between 19 and 24 years old, dating back 2,500 years ago. Thanks to modern technology and investigation techniques, scientists were able to reconstruct his appearance as if this young man were still alive today.

John De Strivelyn

Born in August 1378, John de Strivelyn, also called John Stirling or Johannes de Strivelyn was a medieval Scottish knight in English service. His remains were found at Stirling Castle underneath a long-lost 12-century royal chapel. This image below was created using advanced digital scanning combined with replication. After that, a medical artist painted the final result.

Whitehawk Woman

Small and slender, Whitehawk Woman is believed to have lived roughly 5,600 years ago and died before she reached the age of 25. Many believe that she passed away during childbirth as the remains of the fetus were found in her pelvic area. She was excavated in 1933 from one of Britain’s earliest Neolithic sites which once was the Whitehawk Enclosure.

Ditchling Road Man

This man was named after the road-widening project that brought about the discovery of his remains back in 1921. He was one of the first farmers from 2,400 B.C. that arrived from Central Europe. His remains displayed that he was malnourished during his life, which is the reason that his growth was stunted. It is further believed that he died between the ages of 25 and 35. He was buried with a Beaker vessel and snail shells.

Slonk Hill Man

Slonk Hill Man lived around 2400 years ago during the Iron Age. He was discovered in 1968 but his death is still unknown. He was buried in a way that was typical of Britain’s Iron Age; in a semi-crouched position. Strong in stature, the man was buried above mollusks and alongside some weapons, suggesting he was a warrior. There is a lot of mystery surrounding his life and death which scientists are still attempting to solve.

Patcham Woman

Patcham Woman lived in 210 AD and is said to have been a resident of Roman Britain. Her remains were buried in a pit, but there was something unusual about her burial. She was nailed to her grave to stop her from rising from the dead. After further investigation, it was found that she suffered from stress, disease, and difficult physical life. It is also believed that her burial site might just be a 1,700-year-old crime scene.

Stafford Road Man

The findings of Stafford Road Man indicate the first wave of Saxons who traveled to Britain once the Roman Empire collapsed. He was found near a spear and a knife, which is why it was believed that he lived an active and prolonged life. He died at age 45. Stafford Road Man had arthritis as well as dental abscess’ which were probably the cause of his death as the infection eventually spread to his brain.

Neanderthal Woman

Firstly, Neanderthals are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. This woman was part of these primates and marked the movement between continental Europe and the British Islands. It is said that these people most likely became extinct due to assimilation into the modern human genome, great climatic change, disease, or a combination of these factors. Evidence has shown that both Neanderthals and modern people lived in Brighton 40,000 years ago.

Early Modern Man

This man commonly known as ‘Early Modern Man’ further proves the theory of modern humans and neanderthals living together 40,000 years ago. However, a possible overlap may have occurred then. Early Modern Man’s remains were found in Europe along with tools made by modern humans further proving this theory.

Kennewick Man

Kennewick Man was found on a bank of the Columbia River in Kennewick, Washington. It is also said that he was one of the most complete skeletons ever found. From this, his skeleton was studied for decades, and then in 2015, it was discovered that he had the most similar DNA to Native Americans. The remains were then returned for reburial as the Umatilla people and other tribes demanded. What’s fascinating is the fact that he became part of a 9-year court case between scientists and tribal people.

Naia

Naia is one of the first Americans, a teenager who died tragically after falling into an underwater cave in Mexico. The cave then dried up about 12,000 years ago and was then nicknamed the “dark hole”. This young teen’s genetic makeup resembled an isolated group that supposedly came from Asia. It is presumed that she died due to a harsh upbringing since men were violent during those times and often engaged in fights.

Tsar Ivan The Terrible

Tsar Ivan the Terrible was the first grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547. And then from 1547 to 1584, he was the first tsar of all of Russia from 1547 to 1584. Tsar Ivan the Terrible is assumed to have suffered from multiple mental illnesses, as evident by the way he acted when he was in power. This reconstruction was done by M. Gerasimov, a Soviet archaeologist, and anthropologist. The techniques used were among some of the first forensic cultures.

Marcus of Eindhoven

Marcus of Eindhoven is a 10-year-old boy who was thought to have lived in medieval times. More commonly known as ‘Marcus’, researchers found a silver coin on his skeleton along with various other materials and silk. It was all thanks to this coin that archeologists were able to know that he died between 1202 and 1342, which was in the Venetian era. DNA further led to the discovery that he was a boy.