Experts have recreated the face of a man who lived 600 years ago using facial reconstruction technology.

The man’s skeleton, dubbed SK 125, along with 60 other full skeletons and more than 4,000 bone fragments, was unearthed when excavation work began on the redevelopment of Aberdeen Art Gallery in 2015.

Those working on the remains said that SK 125 will provide them with insights into the health and lifestyle of medieval people living in Scotland. Construction work was temporarily suspended to allow archaeologists to investigate further to learn more about what life might have been like for those buried at the site, formerly Blackfriars Dominican Friary, which is thought to have been founded AD1222-1249.

After close analysis of SK 125, experts said they believe the man was at least 46 years of age at the time of his death, between 5ft 2in and 5ft 5in in height, and suffered from extensive dental and joint disease.

Based on the evidence, researchers at AOC Archaeology Group said the man’s diet suggested he was not from Aberdeen, but may have spent his youth in the northwest Highlands or Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland.

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Dr Paula Milburn, from the archaeology group, said: “SK 125 has provided us with a first fascinating glimpse of one of the people buried on the site of Aberdeen Art Gallery more than 600 years ago.

“The ongoing post-excavation work is examining the remains in detail and will provide us with amazing information on the kind of people buried here, including their ages, gender, health and lifestyles.

“Fascinatingly, sulphur isotope data – which can reveal residence later in life – indicates that he may have spent the last years of his life in or around Aberdeen.”

Councillor Marie Boulton, Aberdeen City Council’s cultural spokeswoman, said: “The incredible find on the site and the amazing painstaking research of Dr Milburn and her team is another wonderful chapter in the history of Aberdeen Art Gallery, which enters its latest phase with the much-anticipated re-opening on the 2nd of November.”

SK 125 was recovered from the lowest level of the burials, with other skeletons dated to the period 1050 to 1410. Of the 60 skeletons, 56 were adults (18+ years), one an adolescent (13 years) and three were children of six, eight and 11 years of age.

Of the adult skeletons, 26 were male and six were female, and they ranged in age from 18 to 25 through to 46 years and older. The remains provided evidence of a strenuous, physically active lifestyle with high rates of dental disease.

Alongside the skeletons a number of artefacts were discovered including dress accessories, personal ornaments, and coffin wood and fittings. Animal bones and fragments of pottery and glass were also recovered and offer insights about wider acitivities.

After a four year delay, the Aberdeen Art Gallery is set to reopen on the 2nd of November. The £36.4 million redevelopment of the gallery is the biggest investment in the building since it was opened in 1885.