Kennewick Man’s Face Revealed – 8,500‑Year‑Old Skeleton Reconstructed

Kennewick Man, a 40‑year‑old male who died in the early Holocene, was found in 1996 on a Columbia River bank near Kennewick, Washington. The nearly complete skeleton, comprising 350 bones, survived 8,500 years and fuels debate over America’s first peoples. A team led by Cicero Moraes used the skull to produce a scientific facial reconstruction, combining anatomical averages with CT‑scan‑derived statistical data. The result shows a strong, resilient man, 5 ft 8 in tall and 70‑75 kg, who suffered multiple injuries—including cranial depression, fractured ribs, a scapula fracture and an embedded spear point in the ilium. Dental wear and “surfer’s ear” hint at a marine diet and exposure to cold waters. The study, printed in Orthogonality Magazine, confirms the skeleton’s importance in North‑American prehistory.