Forensic Facial Approximation of 5000-Year-Old Female Skull from Shell Midden in Guar Kepah, Malaysia

Abstract

Forensic facial approximation was applied to a 5000-year-old female skull from a shell midden in Guar Kepah, Malaysia. The skull was scanned using a computed tomography (CT) scanner in the Radiology Department of the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia using a Light Speed Plus scanner with a 1 mm section thickness in spiral mode and a 512 × 512 matrix. The resulting images were stored in Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format. A three-dimensional (3D) model of the skull was obtained from the CT scan data using Blender’s 3D modelling and animation software. After the skull was reconstructed, it was placed on the Frankfurt plane, and soft tissue thickness markers were placed based on 34 Malay CT scan data of the nose and lips. The technique based on facial approximation by data extracted from facial measurements of living individuals showed greater anatomical coherence when combined with anatomical deformation. The facial approximation in this study will pave the way towards understanding face prediction based on skull structures, soft tissue prediction rules, and soft tissue thickness descriptors.

Facial Reconstruction of a Deformed Skull from the Roman Period of Juliopolis

“…This study follows the step-by-step approach discussed by Abdullah et al (2022). After the photogrammetry and 3D modelling processes, the missing parts of the skull are completed.…”

“…Using standardised terms and methods to minimise measurement errors and increase reliability is important (Caple and Stephan 2016). Therefore, the measurements were taken, and the anatomical points were determined in accordance with Caple and Stephan to be consistent with the author C. The measurement of the distance between frontomalar (fmo) points is crucial to determining the place and projection of facial elements (Abdullah et al 2022). For the skull, the mean distance between fmo points of each side was measured as 95.35 mm.…”

“…Concerning the positioning of the mouth, the measurement of the distance between the cheilion (ch) points, which indicate the intersection of upper and lower vermilions in the outer corner of the mouth, is necessary (Abdullah et al 2022;Caple and Stephan 2016). In this study, the mean distance between chch was 49.76 mm.…”

Forensic Facial Approximation of Achondroplastic Dwarf from Medieval Cemetery in Central Europe

“…The present work uses the same step-by-step approach discussed in Abdullah et al (2022), starting with the complementation of the missing regions of the skull (see Anatomical analysis of 3D skull model), followed by the projection of the profile and structures of the face from statistical data (Moraes et al 2021, Moraes et Steps of the facial approximation of the examined individual: A) Skull with soft tissue thickness markers, B) Skull with the projected nose and face profile, C) Head CT of the virtual donor over Ł3/66/90 skull (left), and after the anatomical deformation (right), D) Approximation face of the dwarf (right) from the virtual donor (left), E) face reconstruction of the virtual donor (left) and the dwarf (right), F) Interpolation of face profile line from the projected line (left) and using anatomical deformation (right), G) The interpolated profile line is compatible with the nasal projection from statistical data, H) Face measurements performed, I) Face with preconfigured texture and hair, J) Reconstructed face of the dwarf with hair and beard.…”

“…Such projections come from studies carried out with CT scans of living individuals (Moraes et al 2022a, Moraes et al 2022c and the result in the approximation of the individual Ł3/66/90 was within the expected parameters (Figure 1H). Following the approach proposed in the studies by Abdullah et al (2022) (Abdullah et al 2022), a mesh from another facial approximation was used and deformed/adapted to be compatible with the current work, not only in the shape of the face (Figure 1I), but in the configuration of the beard and hair (Figure 1J).…”