A team of scientists has reconstructed the facial features of a woman who resided in Britain 900 years ago by utilizing her discovered skull. The excavation of 14 skeletons, including hers, took place at Holy Trinity Kendal Parish Church in Kendal, Cumbria, during flood management operations led by the Environment Agency in 2022.
One particular woman, known as ‘Kendal Woman,’ was approximately 50 years old at the time of her death in the 1200s. Researchers from Liverpool John Moores University employed advanced computer technology to recreate her likeness, suggesting that she had been a lifelong resident of the town.
In an effort to honor her memory, there is currently a public poll to select a suitable name for ‘Kendal Woman’ before she is reinterred alongside the other 14 bodies at the same location where they were initially found in storm-affected Cumbria.
Visitors to Kendal Parish Church are encouraged to participate in choosing a name from a list of options reflective of the era, while a depiction of her is on display. The potential names include Agnes, Amice, Annora, Bodil, Clemence, Frieda, Hilda, Jord, Kara, and Tove, each with unique meanings.
Through scientific analysis, it was determined that the woman likely had fair skin, long hair, wore a headscarf, and worked in agriculture. Kendal Parish Church’s Revd Canon Shanthi Thompson confirmed that she would be laid to rest respectfully with the other discovered bodies, expressing the importance of assigning her a name now despite the absence of a headstone from her original burial.
The woman’s remains, which were relatively well-preserved, underwent extensive examination, including bone, tooth, DNA analysis, and radiocarbon dating. The reconstruction revealed characteristics indicative of a laborious outdoor lifestyle, consistent with someone who toiled in the surrounding fields.
Evidently, she was interred without a coffin, suggesting a lower social standing, and plans are underway to reinter her in the churchyard next year.