The archaeological contribution of forensic craniofacial reconstruction to a portrait drawing of a Korean historical figure

Abstract

Craniofacial reconstruction (CFR) is a technique used to rebuild the living facial appearance onto a skull in order to recognise or identify an individual. This technique is primarily employed in forensic investigation, but also utilised in archaeological research to recreate the faces of paleontological and archaeological humans. In this study, the face of a 17 th century historical figure from Korea was reconstructed utilisingcomputerized tomography from the mummified remains. A geographic surface comparison programme was employed to evaluate the accuracy of the CFR produced using a three-dimensional computerized modelling system. Analysis of the facial tissue depth discrepancies demonstrated that the CFR may have acceptable resemblance to the living face of the historical individual. Using computerised graphic technology, the CFR outcome, along with the archaeological information about the hair style, ornaments, and dress discovered in the tomb, a portrait-styled in the typical drawing trend from the era was created. The research suggests that current CFR techniques can provide an accurate portrait drawing of historical figures in Korea.

Densely calculated facial soft tissue thickness for craniofacial reconstruction in Chinese adults

“…In the field of forensics the CFR technique is often the final hope in recognizing and identifying a seriously decomposed cadaver [1]. In the field of archeology CFR is also available to recreate the facial appearance of historically important figures from skeletal remains [2].…”

Facial approximation of Tycho Brahe’s partial skull based on estimated data with TIVMI-AFA3D

“…Artistic depictions are known to be dependent from the artist's interpretation and style, and computerized FA proposes an objective method to estimate a realistic facial appearance, at least for the shape component [17]. The superimposition of Brahe's FA with his portraits was attempted but not presented in this study since it was judged too limited by numerous factors: differences in orientation and perspective effects between the two sources are difficult to control, and ultimately the artistic interpretation in the portraits makes such analysis debatable.…”

“…Although this definition applies to the forensic context where the recognition of an unknown individual is the goal of the process, the application of FA to historical cases should be bound by similar rules, as emphasized in a recent review by Hayes [15]. The museographic scope of FA allows for more flexibility and freedom in adding textures and details in the rendering of the face [16][17][18][19], but the scientific methodology to perform an objective facial shape is the key to any FA. Interestingly, the historical cases may include extensive information on the life history of the subject, including photographs or portraits that provide comparative elements.…”

Diploic vessels and computed tomography: Segmentation and comparison in modern humans and fossil hominids

“…In the last decade, the development of digital anatomy, biomedical imaging, and computed morphometrics has represented a major advance for many fields, including neuroscience, anthropology, and paleoanthropology (Slice, ; Zollikofer et al, ; Rilling, ). Vascular traits are also considered in fields such as bioarchaeology, medicine, or forensic science (e.g., Hauser and De Stefano, ; Bruner and Sherkat, ; García‐González et al, ; Louis et al, ; Patel, ; Lee et al, ; Short et al, ; Weber, ). Because of their position within the bone, the diploic vessels are probably the least studied among the cranial vascular network.…”