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Rare 19th-Century Panel Displayed at Red Sea Museum Features Complete Quranic Text
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Culture & Society

Rare 19th-Century Panel Displayed at Red Sea Museum Features Complete Quranic Text

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • A new exhibition in Budapest, Hungary, uses facial reconstructions from ancient Roman skulls to bring individuals from Aquincum to life.
  • The exhibition, "Once we were like you," employs DNA analysis and archaeological data to recreate the faces and lives of Romans who lived nearly 2,000 years ago.
  • The project aims to connect modern audiences with ordinary people from ancient Roman society, revealing details about their appearance, potential occupations, and health.

An exhibition in Budapest, Hungary, is offering visitors a unique glimpse into the lives of ancient Romans through hyper-realistic facial reconstructions. Titled "Once we were like you," the display at the Aquincum Museum features over a dozen individuals from the Roman city of Aquincum, a former settlement on the Danube frontier.

Our main goal was to bring a few of these individuals closer to the people of today.

— Loránt VassExplaining the purpose of the exhibition 'Once we were like you' at the Aquincum Museum.

These remarkably detailed reconstructions are based on skulls unearthed at the ancient site. Experts utilized a combination of DNA analysis, archaeology, and anthropology to determine the likely appearance of these individuals nearly 2,000 years ago, including skin, hair, and eye color, and even the possibility of freckles. Skull characteristics provided insights into facial structure, age, and any past injuries or diseases.

Curators, including archaeologist Loránt Vass and Péter Vámos, have given these ancient faces names, suggested trades, and crafted biographical stories. These details, while invented, are grounded in authentic historical foundations and the scientific data gathered from the skulls, which are also displayed. One reconstructed individual, a construction worker named Respectus, is depicted as having worked with plaster and stone, enduring physical hardship that left marks on his bones. His story includes a tavern brawl that resulted in a broken nose and a lost tooth.

We don’t even know their names, unfortunately, but we tried to incorporate everything that anthropology and genetic studies could tell us about their life history.

— Péter VámosDescribing the process of creating biographical details for the reconstructed Roman individuals.

The exhibition highlights that the bones of most individuals show a high degree of inflammation, suggesting regular physical labor and periods of starvation. Researchers conclude that many likely belonged to the lower middle class, a segment of Roman society often overlooked in historical accounts. The display includes six silicon moldings adorned with realistic hair and clothing, aiming to bridge the gap between ancient lives and modern understanding.

Based on this, it can be concluded that most of them belonged to the lower middle class, which is the least remembered segment of Roman society.

— Loránt VassInterpreting the findings from the skeletal analysis regarding the social status of Aquincum residents.
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Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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