2000-year-old face of Roman Scotland inhabitant revealed in new reconstruction

Press assets available here:

• Still images
• Facial reconstruction animation
• B-roll footage of Dr Jess Thompson

The man had travelled hundreds of miles from his birthplace in southern Britain to the shores of the Firth of Forth. He was most likely in his early 50s when he died sometime between AD 140–165. He lived a hard and physically active life, and his appearance would have betrayed his age through lines around his brown eyes and the greying of his dark hair. 

Analysis of his skeleton has revealed several injuries suffered during his life. His nose had been broken and healed, and he had limited use of his right arm following extensive bone growth around the elbow joint, probably caused by septic arthritis. We do not know his occupation, but he certainly was not a soldier when he died as he could not have swung a sword. Pronounced wear on his front teeth suggests he compensated for this reduced mobility by holding objects between his teeth.  

This man was one of a series of remarkable burials from around the Roman fort at Inveresk. Burials are rarely discovered in Roman Scotland and these are particularly unusual because four of the six adult men buried here were decapitated after they died. This enigmatic practice is seen across Britain, but the burials at Inveresk are the first Scottish examples and are amongst the earliest known in Britain. The rite of post-mortem decapitation was not uncommon but the reasons for it are hard to identify and probably changed over time. It may have been used as a form of punishment, linked to beliefs around the way a person died, or motivated by supernatural concerns. 
 

Dr Jess Thompson, Curator of Osteoarchaeology at National Museums Scotland, said: 

"The burials at Inveresk are exceptional and incredibly rare survivals from Roman Scotland. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of human remains allows us to understand the physical attributes of these individuals as well as their life stories. We can investigate where these men had travelled from to reach the frontier, what they were doing there and what became of them. This facial reconstruction by Dr Chris Rynn unites cutting-edge science with artistic vision to create an instant connection with the past, offering a dynamic portrait of what he may have looked like and who he may have been." 

Dr Fraser Hunter, Principal Curator of Prehistory and Roman Archaeology at National Museums Scotland said:     

“I have worked with the finds from Roman Inveresk for years, but this facial reconstruction finally gives me a sense of what one of its inhabitants looked like. Archaeology tells us about people who had hopes and fears just like us, and it is a privilege to present a vision of this resident of Inveresk using contemporary scientific techniques. We cannot know how exactly he looked, but we think his family and friends would have spotted the likeness.” 

This man’s skull will be displayed alongside the digital facial reconstruction in Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire. The exhibition will look at the experience of life on a frontier, from the soldiers who tried to conquer this land and the families and communities who lived around each military base, to the locals whose lives and lands were threatened by the Roman invasion, and who had to find ways to deal with this threat. 

The facial reconstruction was informed by an osteoarchaeological assessment carried out at National Museums Scotland, previous isotopic analysis led by scholars at Durham University, and ancient DNA by a team based at the Department of Archaeology at the University of York and Harvard Medical School. Dr Chris Rynn combined these findings to estimate the man’s appearance. 

The exhibition is made possible with the support of the Roman Scotland Exhibition Supporters Circle. 

A press release giving full details of the exhibition is available here. 

Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire 
14th November 2026 – 18th April 2027  
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 

Tickets are available to book at nms.ac.uk/RomanScotland