Norway. Based on the remains found in a Stone Age cave, experts have reconstructed the portrait of a 15-year-old boy with a skull deformity.
A full-body reconstruction of a Stone Age teenager named Vistegutten is currently on display at the Hå Gamle Prestegard museum in southern Norway, according to Live Science’s report on February 15. The restoration project took several months to complete.
Vistegutten’s remains were discovered in a cave in Randaberg, along the west coast of Norway in 1907. The 15-year-old boy was rather short for his age, measuring only 1.25 feet tall, even by Stone Age standards. It is possible that Vistegutten died alone because his remains were found leaning against the cave wall.
“It is possible that he was placed in this position after his death, but it is also possible that he actually died in this position,” said Oscar Nilsson, the Swedish forensic artist who recreated Vistegutten’s portrait.
Vistegutten had scaphocephaly, which occurs when the longitudinal seam at the top of the skull closes too soon, causing the head to lengthen in an anteroposterior direction without extending to the sides, resulting in a protruding forehead.
“However, this deformity is not associated with developmental problems or intellectual disability,” said Sean Dexter Denham, a bone specialist at the University of Stavanger’s Archaeological Museum in Norway. The unusual skull and short stature may give Vistegutten a strange appearance, but the traces left behind show that the boy was still well-fed and healthy.
For the reconstruction, the team of experts performed computed tomography (CT) scans of the skull twice. From there, Nilsson created a 3D printed plastic replica. Since the thickness of the tissue on the boy’s face was unknown, Nilsson relied on measurements of modern Nordic European teenagers who were 15 years old.
Nilsson noticed that the boy had a round and slightly protruding forehead, a thin bridge of the nose, and a fairly wide lower part of the nose. DNA analysis also showed that his skin, hair, and eye color closely resembled that of other Norwegians of the period, mainly brown eyes, dark hair, and a medium skin tone.
Vistegutten’s costume was designed by Swedish archaeologist Helena Gjaerum using prehistoric tanning techniques. The outfit includes a long tunic made of shaved elk skin, two salmon skins wrapped around the waist, and a belt bag made of deer skin. The bones of these animals were all found at the archaeological site. “The suit is stitched with both tendon and leather straps, and then ash and grease are added to make it look more realistic,” Gjaerum said. Additionally, the boy wears a necklace made from the backbone of a salmon and broken seashells.
