Oscar Nilsson recreates skull of 4000-year-old woman from northeastern Sweden

CAIRO – 3 March 2022: Artist and archaeologist Oscar Nilsson used 3D technology to bring to life the skull of a 4,000-year-old Stone Age woman after 300 hours of grueling work.

The woman was discovered a century ago in a stone-lined tomb deep in the forests of northeastern Sweden, next to a 7-year-old boy who Swedish researchers believe was most likely her son. According to the ancient-origins website, archaeologists believe they belonged to a nomadic group of hunters who had been tracking animal migrations along the 430-kilometer Indalsälven river.

The woman was in her thirties, deceased of an unknown cause.

In 2020, archaeologist Oscar Nilsson was consulted by the curators of the Västernorrlands Museum in Sweden, who had a woman's skeleton, as he is known for facial reconstructions using clay. Nilsson is a pioneer in restorative archaeology, and has personally reconstructed more than 100 ancient people over the past 20 years. 

A replica of the woman's skull was created with a 3-D printer. Clay represents her facial muscles. Pegs indicating tissue depth will be covered by a layer of plasticine clay skin - National Geographic 

Curators have taken part in a major project to design a new attraction after 9,500 years of human activity in Sweden. The skull of the 4,000-year-old woman, with the boy, is the oldest skeletons ever found in that region of Sweden. 

Museum scientists wanted to show new visitors "the oldest face" from the north - a Lagmansören woman. However, they had no idea what it might look like.