Over many years, Curator Alexandra Fletcher has formed a particularly strong bond with one of the…older people in the British Museum. In fact, she was one of the first to see his face in over 9,500 years. The Jericho Skull is arguably the oldest portrait in the British Museum – a human skull from the ancient city of Jericho which had plaster applied to it to form a type of early facial reconstruction.

The Jericho Skull is fascinating to look at, but since being discovered in 1953, archaeologists weren’t able to find out much more about this man – until now. Using CT scanning, 3D printing and facial reconstruction, Alexandra and her team have finally been able to reveal the man behind the plaster.

Uncovered in 1953 during excavations led by Kathleen Kenyon, the Jericho Skull is one of seven that were discovered, and one was donated to the British Museum the following year. Long recognised as an exceptional find, studies have been restricted to the surface, as to see underneath would have meant damaging the historic item. It’s only in recent years that scanning technologies have reached the point where they can reveal what lies beneath the clay face.

What is shown is that the person, probably a man who “donated” their head to the artist may have been fairly important, having had a deliberately deformed skull carried out during childhood. The nose bones showed signs of having been broken, and healed, during his life. The skulls also showed signs of regular handing, so may have been shared by the community as votive objects. The scans have also been turned into 3D models, which are on display alongside the original Jericho Skull, and a modern recreation of what the person might have looked like while alive.

There are still questions about the hair and eye colours, which may be contained within the plaster mask, but to find out would mean damaging the skull.
So the skull will forever retain an air of mystery.

Cast: Alexandra Fletcher (Curator)