WATCH: Black Isle murder mystery
Facial reconstruction of skeleton found by archaeologists
Last updated 18th Feb 2017
A Scots scientist has reconstructed the face of a skeleton which was found in Ross-shire, by archaeologists who were digging inside a cave on the Black Isle.
The Pictish man's bones show he was brutally attacked before he died 1,400-years-ago.
Experts from the Rosemarkie Caves Project had been expecting to find some evidence of human occupation of the cave extending back over a long period of time, but they were astonished to find the skeleton of a man buried in a recess of the cave, covered in a layer of sand.
The bones were sent to an expert forensic anthropologist whose team have been able to describe in detail the horrific injuries, as well as digitally reconstruct what he looked like.
A bone sample sent for radiocarbon dating indicates that he died sometime between 430 and 630 A.D., commonly referred to as the Pictish period in Scotland.
The body had been placed in an unusual cross-legged position, with large stones holding down his legs and arms.
"We have identified at least four or five impacts that resulted in fracturing to his face and skull." PROFESSOR DAME SUE BLACK, UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE
The remains were sent to Professor Dame Sue Black, director of the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee, and from her extensive experience of analysis of human remains, she was able to compile a detailed account of how the man died.
She told MFR News: "From studying his remains we learned a little about his short life, but much more about his violent death.
"As you can see from the facial reconstruction he was a striking young man who was sadly cut down in his prime by brutal interpersonal conflict.
"We have identified at least four or five impacts that resulted in fracturing to his face and skull.
"The first impact was by a circular cross-section implement that broke his teeth on the right side.
"The second may have been the same implement used like a fighting stick, which broke his jaw on the left.
"The third resulted in fracturing to the back of his head as he fell from the blow to his jaw with a tremendous force, possibly onto a hard object, perhaps stone.
"The fourth was intended to end his life as probably the same weapon was driven through his skull from one side and out the other as he lay on the ground.
"The fifth was not in keeping with the injuries caused in the other four where a hole, larger than that caused by the previous weapon, was made in the top of the skull.
"Was this a coup de grace, or was it done after death in some form of ritual in keeping with the stones buried on his body? We simply can't tell."