Young woman suffering from syphilis, from excavations in Red Cross Way, Southwark - 18th century

The reconstruction of the living face on the dead skull has been made possible by the marriage of forensic science with archaeology. The technique shown here, developed by Dr Robin Richards of the Medical Physics Department at UCL, involves plotting the various landmarks of the skull on computer. After this, an approximation of the face is created, based on the known thickness of facial skin and muscle. Facial features can then be projected onto a model. The Museum of London commissioned the following facial reconstructions for the London Bodies exhibition