At school, we all learnt about various famous historical figures, and we often ended up with an image in our mind of what they looked like. But while we could never have really known if these images were true or not, historians and archaeologists often try to painstakingly recreate their appearance based on the remains they find.
Here are ten such cases where we can stare at the real faces of the people who made world history. The results are both fascinating and surprising.
Tutankhamun
This was the famous pharaoh who ruled Egypt in 1332–1323 BC. Archaeologists believe he suffered from various inherited disabilities — as well as malaria, which may have been the cause of his death at the age of just 19.
Nefertiti
In 2003, mummy number. KV35YL was identified as Nefertiti, the spouse of one of the pharoahs of the 18th century Akhenaten dynasty. Scientists were able to reconstruct this long-dead empress’ real appearance.
Dante Alighieri
The face of the great Italian poet Dante Alighieri, who lived in the 13th and 14th centuries, was reconstructed in 2007.
William Shakespeare
What is believed to be the actual face of William Shakespeare, the most important literary figure in English history, was reconstructed using his death mask.
Paul the Apostle
Saint Paul lived in 5–67 AD. In 2009, for the first time in history a scientific study was carried out of the contents of his sarcophagus, which was found under the alter inside the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, an ancient Roman church.
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas is said to have been a miracle-maker, and is considered to be the protector of sailors, children and merchants.
Henry IV of France
This is believed to be the real face of Henry IV — the king of France and the leader of the Huguenots, who was murdered by Catholic fanatics in 1610. His likeness was revealed to the world in 2010.
King Richard III
The appearance of this infamous king of England is based on the miraculous discovery of his remains in a car park in the city of Leicester in 2012.
Johann Sebastian Bach
The face of this world-renowned German composer of the 18th century was reconstructed in 2008 by a Scottish anthropologist.
Nicolaus Copernicus
The remains of this hugely influential astronomer and mathematician, who first developed the modern interpretation of the heliocentric universe, were discovered in a cathedral in Frombork, modern-day Poland, in 2005.
