Saudi Arabia has unveiled the reconstructed figure of Hinat, a Nabataean woman, at the Hegra Welcome Centre in AlUla. Visitors will be able to interact with Hinat starting from Monday.
The model of Hinat was created based on her remains that were discovered in 2015 in a 2,000-year-old tomb in Hegra. The project was directed by Lebanese-French archaeologist Laila Nehme who noted the tomb had a distinctive inscription stating it belonged to Hinat.
The reconstruction of Hinat was carried out in the UK in 2019 with funding from the Royal Commission of AlUla. A team of experts were involved in the process, starting with rebuilding the bone fragments and then creating an image of her appearance using archaeological and anthropological data.
A sculptor then brought Hinat’s face to life with the help of a 3D printer.
The Nabataeans were an ancient Arab civilisation that inhabited the Levant and northern Arabia over 2,000 years ago and were known for trading spices, medicine and fabric. Although much is known about them, there is still much to be learned as they did not leave any written texts or records. According to Nehme, excavating Hinat’s tomb was a great opportunity to learn more about their beliefs regarding the afterlife.
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