The face of an ancient leader, the Lady of Cao, has been reconstructed by scientists in Peru using 3D scanning and printing techniques.

The country of Peru has a rich heritage of archaeological finds. One prominent example is the Lady of Cao, the preserved remains of a woman who died 1,700 years ago. Her remains were analysed and a reconstruction of her face was created with the help of 3D scanning and 3D printing.

The remains of Lady of Cao, who belonged to the Moche culture in northern Peru, were found 11 years ago. She was buried in a mud-brick ruined pyramid called Huaca Cao Viejo, near Trujillo.

The reconstruction shows Lady of Cao had an oval face with high cheekbones. Peru’s minister of Culture, Salvador del Solar, explained that many Peruvians shared and would recognise these features. He adds:

“We are privileged to announce this strange combination of the future and the past: technology has allowed us to see the face of a political and religious leader from a culture from the past.”

Lady of Cao’s Facial Reconstruction

The scientists were also able to learn much about Lady of Cao from her burial site. Due to the gold and copper which they found surrounding the remains, they believe she could have been a political ruler or priestess. Along with these findings, the discovery team found two war clubs and 23 spears.

Thanks to the dry temperatures in the tomb, her body was well preserved. It allowed the scientists to observe that the woman’s feet, legs and face were tattooed with symbols of serpents and spiders.

Interestingly, these findings oppose the belief that only men held high positions in ancient Moche society. In fact, archaeologists believe she is the first known female governor in Peru.

However, a modern autopsy showed that Lady of Cao died in her 20s. Her death was most likely caused by pregnancy or childbirth complications.

It took ten months to replicate Lady of Cao’s face. As well as analysing the remains, scientists also relied on pictures of female residents of Magdalena de Cao, the town nearest to the pyramid.

The life-size reconstruction was revealed this week; it’s on display at the Culture Ministry’s hall in Lima’s San Borja district until July 17th.

Source: BBC