Reuters
Lady of Cao
'Technology has allowed us to see the face of a political and religious leader from a culture from the past.'
Archaeologists, culture officials and scientists in Peru have been able to reconstruct the face of the remains of an ancient female ruler with the aid of 3D technology.
The feat was achieved with the help of the Augusto N. Wiese Foundation and FARO Technologies, the global imaging company. Forensic archaeology was supplemented by the use of 3D imaging to create an accurate complexion of the Lady of Cao’s face based on the skull structure that had remained for 1,700 years, and ethnographic research.
It’s a case similar to that of the Jericho Skull, reported by TCT here. Years after its excavation, 3D technology was harnessed to bring the remains to live, to get a better idea of who this person was, to put a face to the name. In Peru, the Lady of Cao’s discovery debunked some of the myths of ancient times, thus becoming a relatively famous figure, albeit with no face to recognise.
Reuters
Lady of Cao 2
The Lady of Cao, as discovered in 2006.
Earlier this week, Peru Culture Minister, Salvador del Solar, addressed a room of hundreds at the country’s Culture Ministry – The Lady of Cao will be displayed there until July 16th, when it will be moved to the museum at El Brujo.
“Today it is with great excitement and pride that I share the panel with those who are going to make an announcement on the Lady of Cao, who has a face and whose face is also the face of Peru and its own culture,” del Solar said. “We are privileged to announce this strange combination of the future and the past. Technology has allowed us to see the face of a political and religious leader from a culture from the past.”
The Lady of Cao’s remains were found in 2006 at Huaca Cao Viejo, a mud-brick ruined pyramid near the north-western city of Trujillo. Her discovery was ground-breaking, not least because it dispelled the belief that the ancient Moche society was a male-hegemonic one. Buried with an assortment of gold, jewellery and weaponry (two war clubs and 23 spear throwers), it points towards the lady being of significant importance, perhaps a political or religious leader as referenced by del Solar. Many more females have since been found from the same era with similarly rich burial sites, supporting the theory.
Reuters
Lady of Cao
A close up of the Lady of Cao's facial reconstruction.
The Lady of Cao is believed to have died in her twenties, most likely from complications during childbirth. Her arms and legs were covered in elaborate tattoos and she was buried with the body of a strangled teenage girl who is believed to have been sacrificed. The reconstruction of the ancient leader’s face is of historical significance for the people of Peru, just as her discovery was. She is considered one of the best ever relics of a civilisation that ended more than 1,000 years ago. And now, Peruvians have an even better understanding of who this person was. After working on the Jericho Skull, Alexandra Fletcher, who led that particular project, suggested Palestinians would be able to recognise the person known as the Jericho Skull. They had a face to the name. Peru’s Culture Minister feels much the same of the Lady of Cao.
“Its relevance is really incalculable,” del Solar added. “We can now show the world her face – a face that Peruvians see ourselves in.”
