16-Year-Old Woman’s Face Reconstructed with Unique ‘Trumpington Cross’ in Cambridge Excavation
The face of a 16-year-old woman from the 7th century has been reconstructed after analysis of her skull revealed new information about her life. The young woman, who was buried near Cambridge in the UK, was found with a remarkably unique gold and garnet known as the ‘Trumpington Cross.’ The reconstruction of her face was unveiled to the public alongside scientific evidence showing that she had moved from Central Europe to England as a young girl, resulting in a shift in her dietary habits.
The discovery of the woman’s burial in 2012 by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit at Trumpington Meadows on Cambridge’s southern limits has captivated researchers. The burial included the famous ‘Trumpington Cross’ and other artifacts, which will be showcased in the upcoming exhibition at Cambridge’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) titled ‘Beneath Our Feet: Archaeology of the Cambridge Region.’
Forensic artist Hew Morrison created the facial reconstruction using measurements of the woman’s skull and tissue depth data for Caucasian females. Although her precise eye and hair color cannot be determined without DNA analysis, the image provides a strong indication of her appearance before her death.
The isotopic analysis conducted by bioarchaeologists Dr. Sam Leggett, Dr. Alice Rose, and archaeologist Dr. Emma Brownlee revealed that the young woman had moved to England from near the Alps, possibly southern Germany, after the age of 7. The analysis also showed that her proportion of protein in the diet decreased after she arrived in England, indicating a significant change in her lifestyle. This change occurred shortly before her untimely death, suggesting a tragically short period between her migration and burial.
Dr. Leggett, now at the University of Edinburgh, remarked on the challenges the young girl may have faced during her journey and subsequent settlement in a foreign land. He noted, “She was probably quite unwell and she traveled a long way to somewhere completely unfamiliar – even the food was different. It must have been scary.”
The young woman’s cause of death remains unknown, although previous analysis indicated that she had suffered from illness. She was buried in a unique manner, lying on a carved wooden bed with the ‘Trumpington Cross,’ gold pins, and fine clothing. Only 18 bed burials have ever been uncovered in the UK, making her burial even more extraordinary. The ornate cross, made of gold and garnets, identified her as one of England’s earliest converts to Christianity and a member of the aristocracy, if not royalty.
This discovery sheds light on the movement of elite women from continental Europe to the Cambridge region in the 7th century. The exhibition at MAA seeks to highlight the lives of people during pivotal moments in Cambridgeshire’s history. The ‘Trumpington Cross,’ along with the delicate gold and garnet pins and the burial bed’s decorative headboard, will be on display, allowing visitors to glimpse into the fascinating past of this young woman.