Researchers bring you face to face with a 10,500-year-old woman
(16-06-2025) Ghent University researchers have reconstructed the face and life of a prehistoric Belgian woman who lived in the Meuse Valley around 10,500 years ago.
The remains of the Mesolithic woman were discovered in 1988 in the Margaux cave near Dinant. She belonged to the same Western European hunter-gatherer population as the famous Cheddar Man from Great Britain. Thanks to a combination of anatomical, genetic and archaeological data, it was possible to reconstruct not only her face, but also her living conditions.
Researchers from the ROAM project (a Regional Outlook on Ancient Migration), an interdisciplinary project involving archaeologists, bioanthropologists, geneticists and artists, collaborated with Dutch artists Kennis & Kennis on the reconstruction.
Blue eyes, slightly lighter skin and a rich history
DNA analyses show that the Margaux woman had blue eyes, just like Cheddar Man. But she had slightly lighter skin than most other Mesolithic people analysed in Western Europe to date. A subtle but important detail, says Dr Maïté Rivollat, chief geneticist of the project:
‘Until now, the phenotypic diversity among European hunter-gatherers was only known from a small number of fossils and was thought to be fairly homogeneous.’
The artistic team also drew on archaeological data: shells, pigments, remains of camps and tools. This brought not only her face to life, but also her world. From hunting techniques to transport, from flora to fauna: everything was carefully reconstructed in collaboration with artist Ulco Glimmerveen.
And her name is ... Mos'anne!
(update 1 July 2025)
Through an online public survey, which ran from 16 to 30 June 2025, Margaux's wife was given the name Mos'anne, a reference to the French name for the Meuse Valley, where her remains were discovered.
Would you like to meet Mos'anne in real life? From 26 August 2025 our Belgian foremother will be visiting museums across the country with a travelling exhibition.