10,500-Year-Old Woman’s Face Reconstructed from Ancient DNA, Revealing Unexpected Skin Tone and Cultural Complexity in Prehistoric Belgium

Scientists have reconstructed the face of a prehistoric woman who lived approximately 10,500 years ago in what is now Belgium, using advanced DNA analysis techniques. The woman, who belonged to a Mesolithic hunter-gatherer community, was found to have blue eyes and lighter skin than previously assumed for people of her era, challenging long-held beliefs about the genetic makeup of early Europeans.

The interdisciplinary research was led by a team from Ghent University, using DNA extracted from the woman’s skull, originally discovered in the Margaux cave in Dinant during excavations in 1988–1989. The remains were found alongside those of eight other women—an unusual finding, as Mesolithic burial sites typically contain men, women, and children.

Archaeologist Isabelle De Groote, head of the “Mesolithic Belgium” research project, explained that this woman came from the same genetic population as the Cheddar Man—another well-known Mesolithic figure from the UK—yet exhibited notably lighter skin. “This shows there was already considerable variation in skin color among Western European populations during this time,” De Groote said.

The woman was estimated to be between 35 and 60 years old at the time of her death. She had strong brow ridges and a high nasal bridge, physical features similar to the Cheddar Man. Her remains and those of the others in the cave had been carefully buried with ritualistic elements, including ochre sprinkled over the skeletons and stones placed over the bodies. One of the skulls bore post-mortem cut marks.

“This burial site was used over several centuries,” said De Groote. “It suggests these caves were significant memory places, revisited over time by mobile hunter-gatherer groups. These findings point to complex burial customs and raise important questions about the community’s social structure and cultural practices.”

Philippe Crombé, another archaeologist on the team, said the woman’s skin tone was unexpected. “All individuals previously analyzed through ancient DNA in Western Europe belonged to the same genetic group, so this level of variation was surprising,” he said. However, he added that such diversity is logical across the broader Western European landscape, just as it is today.

At the time the skeletons were excavated, ancient DNA analysis was not possible. But with technological advances, the team has now extracted high-quality DNA from the woman’s skull, enabling the creation of a highly detailed reconstruction of her face, including skin tone, hair, and eye color.

Other elements of her appearance, such as tattoos and jewelry, were inferred from archaeological evidence at nearby Mesolithic sites along the Meuse River. At one such site, researchers discovered stone tools, bones from wild game, and fish remains, indicating that the community was nomadic and depended heavily on natural resources.

“They moved through the landscape, following food sources like wild animals, plants, and fish,” said Crombé. “They were the last hunter-gatherers in Western Europe, and many questions remain about their lifestyle and relationships.”

The team is now conducting further DNA analyses to determine the familial ties among individuals buried in the cave and is also investigating their diet—specifically the role of fish—in order to build a broader understanding of Mesolithic life in the region.