China’s Lady Dai mummy embroiled in controversy as latest 3D facial reconstruction resembles project expert

2,200-year-old mummy is famously well-preserved, but face has been distorted, making it hard to picture what she looked like

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Yuan Zhongbiao, a forensic facial expert, is facing criticism in China as the digital facial reconstruction of one of the most well-preserved mummies in the world closely resembles him. Photo: SCMP composite/Xinhua

Published: 6:00pm, 25 Jun 2024Updated: 11:44pm, 27 Jun 2024

A forensic facial expert is under fire in China after his digital facial reconstruction of one of the world’s best-preserved mummies bore a striking resemblance to himself.

Yuan Zhongbiao, the expert responsible for the facial reconstruction, admitted that Lady Dai’s face had badly decomposed by the time she was unearthed, and the team could only use X-ray images of the mummy for reference.

The 3D digital representation of the mummy, Lady Dai, was released on May 17 and featured depictions of what historians believed she may have looked like at 35 and 50 years old, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV.

However, the facial reconstruction has been criticised for its perceived lack of authenticity and anatomical accuracy.

Despite being nearly 2,200 years old, Lady Dai’s body was remarkably well-preserved: her skin was soft, limbs flexible, hair intact, and internal organs in place. Photo: Sina

An online observer on Xiaohongshu, known as AAAJiancaipifazhaojie, who claimed to be a professional in digital restoration, noted that the images appear to have used a digital human creator tool called Metahuman, which allows users to import their own photos and transport them on top of models.