In our vast world of narratives, capturing the intricacies of historical events can be a daunting task. However, thanks to technological advancements, scientists have achieved the remarkable feat of meticulously reconstructing the face of an individual who perished in 1361 during the Battle of Visby in Sweden—a tumultuous clash that stands among Europe’s most intense.

With casualties surpassing 2,500, the majority comprised peasants and elderly individuals ill-prepared for the ferocity of the conflict. Subsequently, researchers stumbled upon a mass grave on the Swedish island of Gotland, housing an array of bones and skeletons belonging to the battle’s unfortunate victims.

Credits: Cicero Moraes

Credits: Cicero Moraes

Notably, within this discovery, they unearthed the skull of a medieval warrior. Through collaboration with Brazilian 3D designer Cicero Moraes, they skillfully employed digital techniques to reconstruct his visage, revealing the impact of an ax that had cleaved his face. The reconstruction unveiled a face with a bisected mouth and fractured teeth, bearing additional injuries above his eye and on his left cheekbone.

Credits: Cicero Moraes

Credits: Cicero Moraes

After carefully studying the skull, Cicero Moraes then distributed a series of markers over it to outline the areas of skin. Based on the skull alone, he was able to determine the size of the nose, mouth and eyes. Conversely, for the hair and skin tone, he had to show a little imagination.

Credits: Cicero Moraes

Credits: Cicero Moraes

He managed to complete the depiction of the face using a three-dimensional model of the skull on loan from the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm. The end result is quite astonishing and shows a lot of realism and precision.