(ORDO NEWS) — Scientists tried to recreate the appearance of a woman who lived 500 years ago. This case is quite unusual, because they decided to restore the skull, which was marked by one deadly disease – syphilis.
The frontal part was damaged, the bone simply rotted in some places. The skull belongs to a woman from Iceland. She lived about 500 years ago.
The researchers determined from the marks on the skull that she had tertiary syphilis (a late-stage infection). Most often, a person with such a severe form of syphilis dies. This disease is terrible and difficult.
In general, in the modern world, such advanced stages are also found, but extremely rarely. This woman developed necrosis of the tissues of the nose, and later doctors gave her an accurate diagnosis.
It is known that the woman was no more than 30 years old at the time of her death. Her body was found in the ancient cemetery in the Skriduklaustur monastery 10 years ago.
All this time, scientists were interested in working on the reproduction of this woman’s portrait.
And it’s not only a venereal disease, she also had other diseases: a defect in teeth due to malnutrition in childhood, osteoarthritis and hypoplasia of tooth enamel.
Brazilian graphics expert Cicero Moraes worked on creating the portrait . Because the skull was missing its lower jaw, it was recreated from the skulls of other European women who died around the same age.
One thing is clear, this Icelander had a difficult life, full of torment and pain. Even the treatment of syphilis 500 years ago was terrible: sweat baths, herbs and ointments that usually didn’t cure anything.
It was possible to reproduce the appearance of the owners of the skulls, not disfigured by diseases and injuries, but in this way the experts decided to immortalize the unknown.
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