STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—Live Science reports that Swedish sculptor Oscar Nilsson has recreated the face of an 18-year-old woman who lived some 9,000 years ago in central Greece. The young woman’s remains were discovered in Theopetra Cave, where footprints, fireplace ashes, stone tools, and bones have also been found. Evidence of human occupation of the cave spans a period of about 45,000 years, from the Middle Paleolithic to the Neolithic period. Nilsson based his recreation on 3-D printed reproductions of the skeletal remains and scientists’ estimations of the woman’s age, ethnicity, and weight at the time of her death. He added muscles and flesh to a replica of her skull in the form of sculpted layers of clay topped with silicone skin. “When you reconstruct a face, it’s very important not to project a face from your inner fantasy,” Nilsson explained. “You must let the face grow from the technique, from the skull.” Nilsson’s sculpture is on display at the Acropolis Museum in Athens. To read about a recent discovery in Greece, go to “A Monumental Find.”
