When we were learning Sejarah in Form One, a name that stood out in the textbooks was the “Perak Man” who has the oldest skull found in Lenggong, Perak as a testament to the Paleolithic Era in Malaysia.
For many years, we only had an idea of the Perak Man looked from the skeletal arrangement. The skeleton was found in 1991 at Gua Gunung Runtuh, Lenggong. These findings are the result of research conducted by the Malaysian Archaeological Research Center, USM led by Datuk Prof Zuraini Majid, in collaboration with the Department of Museums Malaysia.
Well, after 30 years, it seems like the Perak Man finally has a face thanks to 3D virtual reconstruction method, by a group of researchers from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and 3D design expert from Brazil, Cicero Moraes, an individual who is often a reference in the field of forensic face reconstruction in his country.
Perak Man’s face sketch was completed on 19 January 2021.
Speaking to BERNAMA, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Lecturer at the USM School of Dental Sciences Dr Johari Yap, who is also one of the researchers, said the project started two years ago, as a result of the idea of a Neurosurgery Specialist at USM Hospital Prof Datuk Dr Jafri Malin Abdullah.
Before designing the face, Moraes needed information such as gender, age and lineage to produce facial tissue based on average thickness through previous studies. Once the face was formed, they discussed other features such as eye colour, skin colour and hair.
“Because Perak Man is referred to as ‘Australo-Melanesian’ and is the descendent of the Negrito natives, the characteristics of Negrito greatly influence the final design of this Perak Man face.”
Further studies also showed that the Perak Man may have been born with a disability but he continued to live and lead a nomadic hunting lifestyle. “Based on his status assumption, Perak Man may be a respected person in the group and may also be a shaman and the most knowledgeable person in the group,” the researchers said.
Netizens on socmed can’t help but point out the sketch looked familiar to them. Besides marvelling at the innovation, they also said that he looked like some local Malaysian celebrities.
Who does the Perak Man look like? Let us know in the comments section!
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