SK118 from St Sampson's Church

This project presents a craniofacial approximation of an individual (SK118) excavated from St Sampson’s Church, South Hill, Cornwall. The remains, buried in a coffin in an extended supine position, were identified as a male aged over 50 years at death and relatively tall for the period (c. 174–175 cm), with the skeleton approximately 75% complete and the cranium well preserved. Osteological evidence indicates long-standing edentulism, age-related degenerative joint disease, possible gout, and strong musculature, offering insight into health and lived experience. Craniofacial analysis informed a reconstruction showing an upright, moderately elongated face with gently expressed brows, straight eyebrows, horizontally oriented eyes with a slight downturn, a broad rounded nose with subtle asymmetry, reduced lip volume due to tooth loss, and a broad jawline. Created through high-resolution 3D scanning, precision engineering software, and established craniofacial approximation protocols, the image offers a scientifically grounded and humanised interpretive visualisation, shown in both simplified and more ornate forms.