After years of blood and sweat, historians and archaeologists in Saudi Arabia have unfurled an antique reconstructed face of a Nabataean woman who lived more than 2000 years ago.
The reconstruction is one-of-a-kind, Nabataean woman, Hinat, was found in a 2,000-year-old tomb in Hegra which is a UNESCO acknowledged World Heritage Site in AlUla, an ancient oasis city in northwestern Saudi Arabia, a report by CNN stated.
The face is at display on the Hegra Welcome Center in AlUla on Monday. The face has been revived using silicon, with pierced ears and artificial hair meticulously threaded into her scalp.
A group of experts reconstructed the bone fragments dug from the tomb to revamp the image of her look using the ancient data. A 3D printer was thereafter used to carve her face with all details and clarity.
The report stated that the Nabataeans were included in the ancient civilisation that inhabited in the northern Arabia for over 2,000 years ago.
Lebanese-French archaeologist Laila Nehme, director of the project while speaking to National Geographic said, “The Nabataeans are a bit of a mystery: We know a lot, but at the same time we know very little because they didn’t leave any literary texts or records.”
“Excavating this tomb was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about their idea of the afterlife”, she added.
“It tells us Hegra wasn’t just a place of tombs, but a vibrant place where people lived and worked and died. It’s lovely to be reminded”, Leila Chapman, representative from the Royal Commission for AlUla was quoted by The National.
