Punin-2 Facial Reconstruction Reveals Indigenous American Features

The facial reconstruction of the Punin-2 skull, representing a man who lived 3,000 to 4,000 years ago in Ecuador, has been presented to descendants from the Chimborazo region. This forensic portrait, developed with guidance from local people, affirms the individual's Indigenous American ancestry and addresses long-standing questions about the famous Punin skulls.

The Punin-2 skull was discovered in a ravine near the town of Punín in the Chimborazo region of Ecuador's central Andes in the 1970s by a farmer. The Punin-1 skull was found in the same ravine in 1923 during an expedition led by the American Museum of Natural History. In 1925, scientists proposed that the Punin-1 skull showed evidence of Oceanic ancestry, possibly through ancient contact with people from Australia or the Pacific Islands. The ancient sediment layer where both skulls were found predated modern humans, leading some to speculate they might belong to extinct relatives like Homo erectus or Neanderthals.

Geological studies later indicated that erosion and soil movements mixed younger human remains with older Pleistocene fossils in the ravine. The Punin-2 individual lived as a hunter-gatherer in the Chimborazo region between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago. Punín-1 was later radiocarbon dated to about 7,000 years ago, weakening earlier suggestions it was as old as nearby Pleistocene animal fossils. The age of Punín-2 is less certain. A frequently cited date of about 1240 B.C. Came from a human femur found among other remains, not from the Punín-2 skull itself.

Reconstruction process and community collaboration

Christopher Rynn, an independent forensic craniofacial anthropologist based in the U.K., led the facial reconstruction of Punin-2. According to recent anthropological studies, the man was about 50 years old when he died. Rynn began working on the reconstruction last year after gaining access through colleagues in Ecuador. He deliberately learned little about the skull's origin to avoid bias, relying only on skull shape for the initial facial reconstruction.

He followed local guidance on the hairstyle, which is black, middle-parted, and unique to specific tribal groups in the Chimborazo region. Details of the man's hairstyle were not preserved with the skull, so local people were consulted for accuracy. Rynn also adjusted early reconstructions that made the eyes too protrusive, following local advice to make them deeper set to reflect Indigenous American features. The National University of Chimborazo led the effort, while the Polytechnic School of Chimborazo produced a 3D scan of the skull.

For the Punin-2 reconstruction, Rynn combined digital techniques, partial physical reconstructions with wax, and tissue thickness data from libraries. He uses techniques from the University of Manchester in the 1970s, known as the 'Manchester Method.' The finished image shows an older man with black hair parted in the middle. The digital facial reconstruction was presented to a select group from the Chimborazo region who are likely descendants. Rynn stated the skull’s shape is consistent with Indigenous American ancestry. Christopher Rynn said: "It's a portrait of their actual ancestor."

He noted that the Punin-2 skull belonged to an Indigenous American descended from North Siberians and East Asians during the last ice age. "Punín-2 resembles an East Asian skull from the front, but not at all from the side," Rynn said. The reconstruction helps explain skull and face shape differences between Native Americans and East Asians. Real hair will be used in a physical bust of the reconstruction, scheduled for completion in 2027.

Ongoing research and future goals

The team aims to reconstruct Punin-1 and conduct ancient DNA analysis on both skulls. Rynn and his colleagues, led by sculptor Hector Flores Franco from the University of Chimborazo in Ecuador, are raising funds for these further investigations. The Punin-1 skull is now housed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Researchers are seeking support for further work on Punín-1 and genetic testing. Rynn said DNA analysis will tell the true genetic lineage of the individuals. The project was formally announced in March 2025 by Ecuador’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage. The team is raising funds for further investigations, including a reconstruction of the Punin-1 skull and ancient DNA analysis of both skulls.