3D models of the Circeo skull and its reconstructions

 

The Circeo skull (Guattari I) belongs to a man who lived just over 50,000 years ago. It shows a classic neanderthal morphology: a low skull, voluminous just like ours, but elongated and with a protruding nape, a strong supraorbital arch; a protruding face, with large orbits and nasal opening, and “swollen” cheekbones. The fossil is represented here in the very famous copy/sculpture made in 1953 and preserved in the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome.

 

 

His facial features are rendered through two different reconstructions. The data derived from the shape of the skull are integrated by the indications obtained from ancient DNA of other Neanderthal fossils; as you can see, they were probably fair in complexion and hair. Conversely, the shape of the ears, nose, lips, as well as the distribution of hair, the beard and the hairstyle, are rather the result of hypothetical/artistic choices of those who created the models. The reconstructions are preserved and exhibited at the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome.

The project stems from a partnership agreement between the Parco Nazionale del Circeo, the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome and the D.G. Educazione e Ricerca (MIBACT). Technical realization: TECNOSTUDI AMBIENTE S.r.l.