This Studio Rebuilds the Dead for a Living

About this video

What does it take to sculpt a human face from a skeleton? This true story takes us inside the Stockholm studio of Swedish forensic artist Oscar Nilsson, where history is brought back to life through forensic sculpting. Working closely with archaeologists and museums, Oscar creates lifelike sculptures of people who lived thousands of years ago—using DNA extracted from skeletal remains to reveal traits like hair color, eye color, and ancestry. But it doesn’t stop there. Oscar also relies on osteological analysis—studying bones for forensic clues about a person’s age, sex, health, and even how they may have lived or died. The result is a hauntingly realistic sculpture that bridges the gap between science and art. From a Wari Queen born in the 9th Century to a 17th Century ‘vampire’, these are the forgotten faces of history—painstakingly sculpted in silicone, clay, and stunning detail. 00:00 - Introduction 00:40 - Studio Tour 01:09 - The Science 01:49 - The Tips 03:59 - The Discovery 05:30 - Outro Lead Producer: Annie Fraser Camera & Edit: James Rayner Graphics: Will Minns Additional archive: Professor Milosz Giersz & Castillo de Huarmey Archaeological Project archive TAJEMNICE GROBOWCA WARI, script by Bronka Nowicka, directed by Jacek Klisowski and produced by MAKE IT, 2018 TSE EVOLUTION/Project Pień Zeno Bilucaglia, 3D Technician. Define Reality AB Trelleborgs Museum Caravan. Field of Vampires on PBS (US) and Sky History (UK) Vasa Museum Anneli Karlsson Vasamuseet/SMTM #forensicscience #dna #sculpture #truestory #greatbigstory #reallifestory Welcome to Great Big Story — Where the extraordinary hides in plain sight. From forgotten histories and unsung heroes to mind-blowing innovations and mesmerising cultures, We’re a global storytelling collective obsessed with the extraordinary tucked inside the everyday. Our producers are filmmakers, adventurers, and curious souls who believe a great story can change how you see the world. We publish new videos every week. Please join us in exploring a world of fascinating perspectives around history, culture, technology, food, real life stories, and beyond. Got a story idea for us? Send us an email at pitch [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com 📧 Get exclusive GBS items from our online store 🛒 👉 https://shop.greatbigstory.com/ SUBSCRIBE: https://buff.ly/41yqVHF NOTIFICATIONS: Make sure you enable the 🔔 to get notified about our latest video publishes. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatbigstory Check us out on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@UCajXeitgFL-rb5-gXI-aG8Q Join us on Snapchat: https://story.snapchat.com/p/18450982-0867-49c9-b4ac-2a534d1c86aa Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatbigstory Give us a shout on Twitter: https://twitter.com/greatbigstory Sign up to our newsletter: https://greatbigstory.com/signup/