Forensic reconstruction of Nebiri
Forensic reconstruction of the head of the dignitary Nebiri, by forensic artist Philippe Froesch.
Nebiri was an Official who worked under King Thutmose III of the 18th Dynasty.
Despite his body being pretty much destroyed, most likely due to tomb robberies in antiquity, the immaculate way in which he was mummified, showcases his status in society, his embalming being not too dissimilar to the later 18th Dynasty mummies of Yuya and Tuya, parents of Queen Tiye.
Despite only small fragments of his remains being left, including his head (which still has wrappings in some places), due to such profound embalming, the modern forensic team were able to find out Nebiri suffered from gum disease among other ailments.
Nebiri was found within the Valley of the Queens, and alongside his remains were Canopic jars. Studies by the forensic team, showcased that Nebiri’s lungs still held signs of heart failure, “aggregates of cells” are still noticeable to this day.
Egyptologists, using modern science, such as C.T. scans, can now discover likely age and ailments the deceased had. By studying specific parts of the human remains such as, teeth, fragments of facial tissues, organs (if able) and bone density, almost entirely accurate approximations can be made regarding age. Tooth-ware, is one of the most common determinations, and joint analysis too, however, for Nebiri, it was seemingly the tissue upon his face which was a factor in determining his age range.
The head was constructed by forensic visual artist Philippe Froesch. He has done multiple other works and is distinguished in his field. Thank you to modern science and artists such as Froesch, we are allowed to somewhat stand face to face with our past.
Watch video form of this post here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShSn4ptY6Ak
