Scientists have shown the face of a Neanderthal nicknamed the Old Man (5 photos)

A group of researchers has reconstructed the face of a Neanderthal man who lived on the territory of modern France 56 thousand years ago. The ancient remains were found in 1908, several teeth were missing, so the man was nicknamed the Old Man. To create the image, a computed tomography scan of an ancient skull was used, and the missing parameters were taken from the database.





The remains indicate that he suffered from a severe form of periodontal disease, a gum disease found in mammals, which "may be one of the first documented cases of the spread of zoonotic infectious diseases."



Researchers have reconstructed the face of a man who lived 56 thousand years ago, and saw an old man with a beard

Study co-author Cicero Moraes, a Brazilian graphics specialist, noted that the Old Man looks quite cute and differs from the stereotypical idea of Neanderthals.

Neanderthals are a species that lived alongside humans tens of thousands of years ago and are very similar to them in appearance and size, but are generally stockier and more muscular. This primitive relative of humans existed for about 100 thousand years and died out 40 thousand years ago.



The skull from La Chapelle-aux-Saints is well preserved

The skull, found in 1908 at La Chapelle-aux-Saints, exhibits many of the "classic" Neanderthal features, including a continuous supraorbital ridge, wide nostrils, a relatively flat skull base, and large eye sockets.

The old man suffered from periodontal disease and arthritis. This individual's ability to survive such severe illnesses indicates that he was likely assisted by his fellow humans.



A Brazilian graphics specialist used a CT scan of an ancient skull and compared it with similar-sized human skulls from a database

"We created two images: one objective - just a sepia-toned bust without hair, the other - more speculative and colorful - with a beard and hair," Moraes said.

"The artistic reconstruction shows how similar Neanderthals were to us, but at the same time they were different, for example, in their sloping chin. You look at the image and immediately try to imagine what life was like for this person thousands of years ago."



The old man is significantly different from another Neanderthal named Krizhm, whose portrait was published in 2021

Scientists have another interesting portrait of a Neanderthal. Krizhm lived more than 70 thousand years ago in Doggerland, a piece of land that connected Britain with continental Europe.

The young man was "quite heavily built" and had a noticeable tumor above his right eyebrow at the time of his death. This has never before been seen among Neanderthal remains. According to scientists, the tumor could cause Krizhm pain, swelling, headaches and even seizures.

Despite the illness, the ancient man was depicted with a cheerful smile.