Scientists bring a woman from 800 years ago back to life with an incredibly realistic model

SCIENTISTS in Norway have ‘brought back to life’ an old woman 800 years after her death with an incredibly realistic 3D model.

In early October, archaeologist Ellen Grav presented the woman – dubbed Torah by one public poll – in a Video posted on Facebook from the University Museum of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

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“I wonder what she would have thought if she had been told 800 years ago that she would one day be the main attraction in a museum,” Grav said in the video, according to a translation Science Norway.

Wearing a bright orange hand-sewn, hand-dyed dress and leather shoes, Tora’s model was built based on her actual skeleton and clues as to where it was found.

The archaeologists determined that the medieval woman walked stooped at just over 5 ft 1 tall due to a spinal deformity in her skeleton.

They also believe that she lived without lower teeth for some time before her death.

“We can see that she had gout in her hands, shoulders and hips. Her back was also worn down, so she had a stooped appearance when she walked,” Grav explained in the video.

As for life without teeth, the archaeologist said it “probably means she had loving people to take care of her.”

Born towards the end of the 12th century, Tora lived in Trondheim, Norway and, according to the team, is said to have lived in a merchant family.

Her remains were reportedly buried in a church cemetery near the town’s main street, where many merchant families lived.

In addition, scientists believe that Tora probably came from a wealthy family.

According to Grav, the Norwegian lived until her mid-60s, suggesting she had a good and long life.

“Since Tora lived to be around 65, which is considered quite old for that time, we think she must have had a pretty good life for her time,” Grav said live science.

To make the woman look so realistic, the archaeologist worked with Thomas Foldberg, a make-up artist from the Danish film industry.

Together, they used silicone and “hand-painted moles and other stains” on their skin.

“Each strand of hair in the eyebrows, eyelashes and facial hair is attached individually,” Grav told the outlet, calling it “truly amazing artwork.”

When deciding what expression the woman’s face should have, Grav told Live Science it was important to create a “sense of a warm meeting” for visitors.

“People always think the Middle Ages were dark and hard, but there was also joy and happiness, people loved each other and some even lived long lives,” Grav said.

“Tora’s life has been tough, but she must have had good days, too. I hope people learn that they looked like us, felt like us, and were people like us.”

While Tora may not have looked exactly like the replica, Grav defended her team’s work.

“But there’s something about guessing and fantasizing and being intrigued by the fact that she could actually have looked like that,” she said NRK.

“I think she’s so cute; She reminds me of my own grandmother,” Grav told the outlet.