Original version

BBC World Service East Asia

Witness History

Podcasts

Factual: History

History as told by the people who were there

History as told by the people who were there.

Richard Neave image with blocks.jpg

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

Witness History: Facial reconstruction: From mummy to murder

Documentaries

Facial Reconstruction: from a Mummy to Murder

06/06/2023 GMT

Facial reconstruction: From mummy to murder

BBC World Service - Witness History, Facial reconstruction: From mummy to murder

In 1975, Richard Neave invented a method to rebuild the face of an Egyptian mummy

In 1975, Richard Neave used clay, glass eyes and a wig to rebuild the face of an Egyptian mummy. It started a career recreating the faces of the dead using the method he invented.

In 1975, British forensic artist Richard Neave used a pile of modelling clay, two prosthetic eyes and a woman’s wig to reconstruct the face of an Egyptian mummy. 

It was to be the start of a 40-year career recreating the faces of the dead using the pioneering ‘Manchester technique’ that he invented. 

And as his reputation spread worldwide, the police came calling. They needed Richard’s skills to help catch a killer, as he told Jane Wilkinson.

(Photo: Richard Neave in 2012. Credit: Bethany Clarke/Getty Images)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Witness History

Facial reconstruction: From mummy to murder

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service East Asia

About BBC World Service