The girl named Avgi, Greek for Dawn, was discovered in a cave in 1993. She was named Dawn because she lived during what is considered to be the dawn of civilization. The teen’s face can be seen, after scientists reconstructed her face to show what people looked like in the Mesolithic period,around 7000 BC. But her expressions don’t look happy. Dawn is believed to be aged between 15 to 18 years, based on the analysis of her bones and teeth. She has a protruding jaw, thought to be caused by chewing on animal skin to make it into softer leather, a common practice of people during that era.
When people inquired why she had an angry expression, orthodontics professor, Manolis Papagrikorakis, who created a silicone reconstruction of her face from a terracotta mold of her head, joked: “It is not possible for not to be angry during that era.” Dawn was possibly anemic and may have suffered from scurvy, the researchers said.
Experts also say that, during this era, the people had more masculine features, both men and women.
Evidence also says that, she might have hip and joint problems which may have contributed to her death.
Dawn is on display at the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
Theopetra Cave, in the Thessaly region, was first inhabited about 100,000 years ago, according to the Culture Ministry. Stone tools from the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods have been discovered, as well as pottery from the Neolithic period.