How did our ancestors look like in the Stone Age? Studies say Homo Sapiens were heavier, bigger and taller when they first appeared, according to exhibitions manager Fran Dorey at the Australian Museum. You can see it for yourself at Expo 2020 Dubai, where Serbian scientists are bringing back a 10,000-year-old man back to life, virtually.
Starting today, December 16, visitors will meet the Mesolithic man himself, who died on the banks of river Danube in Serbia. His face was reconstructed using Digital Ancient Human technology (DAH), a combination of osteology, which is the study of bone structure, DNA, forensic science and gaming industry knowhow.
Where can visitors meet the prehistoric man?
The Serbia Pavilion is located in the Mobility District. After the premiere, ‘Metahuman’ will move to the second floor, where visitors can communicate with the human ancestor using a smartphone.
The moving 3D face will be up on display all the way till the end of Expo 2020 Dubai, March 31, 2022. On this floor, children and adults alike can learn more about the ancient Serbian settlement Vinca, as well.
Who was he?
From his remains, experts have deduced that the man lived in Lepinski Vir, an archaeological site in Serbia. At the time of his death, he was 50 years old, weighed 70kgs and had a diet that consisted mainly of fish.
Interestingly enough, the man was buried in a ‘lotus’ position with his legs crossed, which meant he occupied an important role in his community.
How does it work?
Sofija Stefanović, Serbian scientist and associate professor of archaeology at University of Belgrade, said that the gathered facial data is transported onto a digital biokinetic model. This 3D face is then fed into a software called the Unreal Engine platform that makes the expressions more realistic.
What makes the ‘metahuman’ responsive, however, is a smartphone facial tracking solution. Be the first in the world to interact with a ten-millennia-old human being.
