Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has revealed the first known reconstruction of ‘Hinat’, a Nabataean woman, displayed at the Hegra Welcome Centre at AlUla from February 6.
A team of archaeologists and academics in forensic science and model-making working for the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate managed to reconstruct the face of a woman from the Nabataean civilization that existed in the Arabian Peninsula centuries ago.
The reconstructed face is based on the remains of Hinat, who was first disvovered in 2015 in a 2000-year-old tomb in Hegra.
The inscription on her tomb emphasizes the importance of women in Nabataean Hegra society, who owned property and made their own tombs.
The team of scientists met in London in September 2019, where they discussed the expected final shape of Hinat’s face.
Hinat’s reconstruction was based on a one-day scholarly roundtable with experts in Hegra, Nabatean, and AlUla antiquities, discussing her appearance, status, and clothing.
Archaeologists, anthropologists, forensic reconstruction experts and a 3D sculptor were involved in the reconstruction and after a 3D model was completed and validated in July 2020, work began on making molds to produce a silicone bust.
The Royal Commission for Al-Ula plans to continue important historical explorations in the future.
