Sweden's oldest face recreated – 10,000 years old

Published 13 February 2024 at 12.33

Domestic. Bredgårdsmannen died almost 10,000 years ago – but now his face has been recreated with the help of modern technology.

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The remains of the so-called Bredgårdsmannen were found in Västergötland in the 1990s. It is one of the oldest skeletons that have been found in Sweden.

Thanks to the fact that the entire skull is well preserved, they have now been able to recreate the man's appearance.

– It is breathtaking. Sweden's oldest face, you get a little goosebumps, says sculptor Oscar Nilsson in SVT's “The world of science: Science behind the history of Sweden”.

Nilsson, who followed DNA analyzes of the skeleton in parallel with his work, has created a faithful reconstruction of the man's face.

He himself is satisfied with the result.

– I think his relatives would have recognized him. I'm quite convinced of that, says Oscar Nilsson to SVT.

DNA analyzes showed that Bredgårdsmannen had blue eyes, light hair and a skin color that was influenced by the heritage from both southern and eastern hunters.

The program can be seen on SVT Play.