About two years ago, Professor Victoria Gibbon from the University of Cape Townโs Department of Human Biology made a startling discovery. Hidden within the dark confines of the Human Skeletal Repository were 11 skeletons โ some incomplete and damaged โ unethically removed from their graves and given to the university.
According to historical records, eight of the 11 individuals worked and died on the Kuilsrivier Farm in Sutherland in the late 1800s. In the 1920s, these individualsโ remains were dug up and donated to the university. For almost 100 years, these remains were locked away, robbed of their dignity, their stories hidden. But in 2017, Gibbon finally put the pieces of these individualsโ lives together and made the decision to track down living relatives and give them the burial they deserve.
Now, thanks to ground-breaking 3D facial reconstruction, we get to see the faces of these individuals โ some as young as 6 years old โ and get to know a bit more about their lives.
Source: UCT | Face Lab