Man who lived 700 years ago gets brand-new face

(Credit: Dr. Chris Rynn, University of Dundee)

Gizmodo calls his face "haunting," but to UK researchers, seeing the mug of the man known as Context 958 is nothing short of astounding. His visage was revealed at the two-week-long Cambridge Science Festival this month, as were details about who he was: in short, a 13th-century working-class man who died in middle age, had apparently lived a life of indigence, and whose face was reconstructed by scientists based on his teeth and bones, per a Cambridge press release.

Context 958's skeleton, analyzed as part of the university's "After the Plague" project, was discovered along with about 400 others between 2010 and 2012 in a medieval-era graveyard underneath one of the college's schools.

The bodies, which date from the 1200s to the 1400s, came from the Hospital of St. John the Evangelist, which used to exist across from the cemetery.

Context 958, who was found buried face-down in his burial spot, is believed to have been a few ticks older than 40 and boasted a "robust skeleton with a lot of wear and tear," which means he likely had a physically challenging job, says Cambridge professor John Robb.

However, unlike others who lived in poverty, Context 958 appears to have chowed down on meat and fish, suggesting that he worked in a specialized niche that gave him access to this ample food supply.

What makes the discovery of his body and others in the same demographic notable, Robb says, is that it gives researchers a chance to study how the poor lived in England more than 700 years ago.

"The less money and property you had, the less likely anybody was to ever write down anything about you," he notes. (This living man's face was reconstructed using 3D printing.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: This Man Lived 700 Years Ago