She is Mos'anne and she is 10,500 years old: They reproduced the face of a prehistoric woman

With her pale blue eyes and shy expression , the reconstructed bust of Mos'anne – a woman who lived around 10,500 years ago – is strikingly lifelike . Reborn through a close collaboration between science and art , the Mos'anne bust was created at Ghent University in Belgium , as part of a project to explore how the region’s last hunter-gatherers lived during the Mesolithic period.

"Part of the project is also about understanding the genetics of these people , understanding their family ties, and, above all, being able to translate the science we do to a wider audience," explained Isabelle de Groote, the project's principal investigator.

Scientists chose the skull of Mos'anne—named by popular vote in reference to the Meuse Valley in Belgium—for the reconstruction because it was exceptionally well preserved.

The bones contained a large amount of preserved DNA , allowing the woman – who was between 35 and 60 years old at the time of her death – to be reconstructed with astonishing realism.

"We also know that, in Mesolithic times, she genetically belonged to the western hunter-gatherer group ," De Groote said.

Using genetic testing, researchers were able to determine the skin and eye color of Mesolithic women.

" This group is known for having very dark skin and blue eyes , a bit like Cheddar Man in Britain," he said, referring to the individual who lived in Britain around 10,000 years ago, whose skeleton was discovered in 1903.

Mos'anne's DNA revealed valuable clues about her appearance , but it was the unique skills of Dutch " paleoartists " Alfons and Adrie Kennis that brought her back to life.

After receiving guidance from the researchers— including instructions to use ochre pigment for Mos'anne's headband —the twin brothers began their work.

They molded the skull, meticulously sculpted each facial muscle in clay , and applied the final decorative feather. "The most important part of the reconstruction is creating a character," Alfons said from his studio in Arnhem.

"You can do a forensic reconstruction, use the data, apply muscle, skin, but you don't get a character," Kennis insisted regarding the artistic process.

The Kennis brothers – whose surname means "knowledge" in Dutch – take approximately six months to complete a reconstruction.

They achieved worldwide recognition in the 2000s , with their work exhibited in museums around the world and published in specialized magazines. The twins, fascinated by evolution and visual art since childhood , draw inspiration from archival anthropological images of the first encounters between isolated populations and researchers.

"In that first encounter, there's nervousness and shyness. People laugh, maybe because they're nervous," Kennis commented. "When a prehistoric ancestor sees you for the first time, you see those mixed emotions. Those are the emotions we want to show ," he emphasized.

Much about Mos'anne remains a mystery . In Ghent, researchers are still analyzing what she ate.

With her headband adorned with duck feathers, her golden skin, and pierced animal teeth dangling from her ears and necklace, prehistoric woman seems closer to us today than ever.