Face Lab expertise 'demasks the dead'

Facial reconstruction plays a role in the forensic identification of the dead and is also key to how we can visualise people from the past. 

LJMU’s Face Lab is one of the leading institutes for this work on behalf of police forces, historians, museums and more. 

Its latest project ventures into the extraordinary funerary practice of fusing masks to the faces of the dead, practised by many pre-Columbian peoples of South America. 

They crafted masks for their dead with such precision that the mummified bodies appear to be alive!  

Revealed for the first time

Supported by British Academy funding, an academic team, led by Professor Caroline Wilkison and Dr Jessica Liu have removed the masks, using the skull to estimate the face,  which will be seen for the first time at the XI World Congress on Mummy Studies, held in Cuzco, Peru, this summer (August 11 to 15). 

Masks were made of clay, waxes and resins but often contain gold or other decorative material, telling an untold story of the culture and technology of Eastern Colombia between the 13th and 17th centuries. 

Facial analysis

The present study focuses on four examples held in the collection of the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History.  These masks were made directly on the anterior aspect of the skull, covering the entire face and jaw of each individual. 

The Face Lab team carried out facial analysis on the four masks, and based on anatomical standards, digitally reconstructed the likenesses of the individuals. 

Dr Felipe Cárdenas-Arroyo, of the Academia Colombiana de Historia, said: “The masks are of extraordinary workmanship and so far, the only ones known to exist in Colombia.” 

We are thrilled and privileged to be involved in this project which highlights the fascinating cultural practices of the indigenous people’s of South America and hope that revealing the faces for the first time increases interest in these incredible civilisations.

Dr Jessica Liu

About Face Lab

Established in 2015, Face Lab is a collaborative unit that combines art and science to explore facial identity and representation. Comprising academics and PhD researchers, it pioneers innovative craniofacial projects in forensic identification and digital heritage, advancing interdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange in heritage, arts, culture, and forensic investigation. Find out more about Face Lab.