Facial reconstructions of Roman-era residents on display in Budapest

The Aquincum Museum in Budapest presents "Once We Were Like You," an exhibition featuring 3D facial reconstructions of 16 individuals who lived in the ancient Roman city of Aquincum between 1,600 and 1,800 years ago. Based on skeletal remains excavated between 2019 and 2021, the reconstructions combine scientific analysis with historical imagination. Anthropologist Ágnes Kustár created the first two models before her death in 2023; portrait artist Emese Gábor completed the remaining faces. Each reconstruction includes a fictional backstory—such as Respectus, a construction worker—informed by bone damage and burial clues. Curators Lóránt Vass and Balázs Mende aimed to connect modern audiences with the lower-middle-class residents, who endured hard labor and harsh conditions. The exhibition runs through October 31, 2026, and reopens in spring 2027.