Alula
This transmedia production sought to recreate the image of a Nabataean woman, born more than 2,000 years ago, with a physical 3D reproduction for the Hegra Welcome Centre Museum in Saudi Arabia.
For the Royal Commission for AlUla in Saudi Arabia
An incredible journey through time
AlUla is one of the archaeological jewels of the Arabian Peninsula, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998. The Royal Commission for AlUla sought to create a major museum from the objects that had been found. One of these included fragments of a woman’s skull.
Our proposal was to reconstruct the skull first in 3D and make her look as lifelike as possible. We then converted the digital image into a physical bust to be displayed at the Hegra Welcome Centre in AlUla.
A collective project
In order to create the most accurate depiction of the Nabataean woman, we formed a team with a forensic artist, a sculptor and an anthropologist, who worked side by side throughout the process together with a scientific team of leading archaeologists who specialized in the Nabataeans from multiple universities.
Attention to the smallest detail
This joint project featuring artists and scientists made it possible to recreate the image of the Nabataean woman, accurate in every detail, from the shape of her head to her hair, jewellery, skin colour, clothing and age.
A global impact
The Royal Commission for AlUla unveiled the recreation in 2023, with the grand opening of the Hegra Welcome Centre, which featured the image of the Nabataean woman on display. The news spread across the entire world.
