Digital Reconstruction Brings Back to Life Face of Sudanese Royalty from Ancient Egypt

Using digital reconstruction, the face of a Sudanese woman identified by hieroglyphics as “Ta-Kr-Hb” or “Takerheb”, who lived some 2,500 years ago hailing from the powerful Kingdom of Kush, has been brought back to life. Housed in Perth Museum Scotland since 1936, her sarcophagus, which has long intrigued Scottish visitors, is set to become a star attraction in an upcoming exhibition.

The exhibition, titled, “Waters Rising”, opens on November 8. The exhibition “traces stories and objects connected to flooding from Scotland and abroad, from biblical accounts to Ancient Egypt to North America, and more recent events closer to home.

Exploring the growing threat of the global climate emergency whilst examining the impact of flooding and extreme weather events on communities, businesses, and infrastructure in Perth and Kinross, the exhibition also includes photos, memories, and stories from local people”, as per the website note.

The connection? Well, it was the flooding of the Nile, which damaged Takerheb’s sarcophagus.

A conservator cleans the sarcophagus of Ta-Kr-Hb, who lived 2,700 years ago. (Perth Museum and Art Gallery / Culture Perth and Kinross)

Reconstructing Ta-Kr-Hb: Priestess or Princess?

Curators and experts, led by craniofacial anthropologist Dr. Chris Rynn, believe that Ta-Kr-Hb, was, in fact, a princess or a priestess from the once-mighty Kush empire, a Nubian civilization that extended over parts of present-day Sudan and Upper Egypt. The empire wielded considerable influence during Egypt’s 25th-26th dynasties (circa 760-525 BC).

Dr. Rynn told The Observer:

 “The skull shape doesn’t look like any of the ancient Egyptians that I’ve seen before. Kemetic skulls normally have narrow long craniums, more prominent narrow noses and longer faces. As you reconstruct the face, you’ve got no control over its shape because it’s all locked to the skull by the scientific method. I don’t have any artistic license until the final stage, when the photo-realistic textures and color are added.”

Hieroglyphics on her sarcophagus and her skeletal features revealed subtle but distinct differences from typical Kemetic (ancient Egyptian) attributes, leading Rynn to speculate about her Kushite origins.

In his reconstruction, she is depicted bald, a custom among priests and priestesses of the time who removed all body hair as a ceremonial and hygienic practice, particularly essential for those involved in embalming rituals. For special occasions, she might have worn a ceremonial wig, as royals and high-ranking priestesses sometimes did.

The facial reconstruction of Ta-Kr-Hb. (Dr Chris Rynn)

The face sculpted on the sarcophagus’s exterior, with its long face and narrow nose, looks strikingly different from Rynn’s digital portrayal based on her skull. However, on the inner lid, a painting of a woman with noticeably darker skin aligns more closely with her likely appearance.

The sarcophagus of the ancient Egyptian woman Ta-Kr-Hb. (Perth Museum and Art Gallery / Culture Perth and Kinross)

The Sarcophagus: A Journey from Kush to Perth Museum

Dr Mark Hall, the museum’s collections officer, said:

“What we now know from Chris’s facial reconstruction is that the female is Kushite. She’s from the kingdom of Kush, which was a neighbor of Ancient Egypt in Sudan. At this particular time, 2,500 years ago, that’s when the Kushite empire conquered Egypt. You get a whole sequence of black, Kushite pharaohs.”

Rynn, who normally applies his forensic skills to assist international police in identifying missing persons from skull reconstructions, was especially fascinated by this discovery. He was quick to add that it wasn’t uncommon for ancient sarcophagus designs to mismatch the individual’s appearance.

The sarcophagus of Takerheb has a storied journey of its own. Likely originating in Akhmim, Egypt, it was discovered in the late 19th century and later sold by a Cairo museum to an Alloa businessman around 1892. It eventually made its way into the Perth Museum’s collection, reports The National News.

Claire Hall from the museum expressed her excitement about the reconstruction, hoping that seeing Takerheb’s face will help people connect with her as a real person from the past.

João Philippe Reid, the museum’s exhibitions manager, concluded, “We’re very interested in exploring hidden histories and marginalised stories, looking at places where museum collections are not representative of the perspectives and experiences of societies today, and in the past. Seeing a Sudanese face appear is really exciting. These histories are hiding in plain sight.”

Top image: Ta-Kr-Hb’s face was reconstructed with the help of Dr Chris Rynn, a forensics expert who works with the police.                          Source: Perth Museum

By Sahir Pandey