Digital Unmasking: How Technology Reveals Colombia's Past and Shapes Its Future with Death

In the mountains of Colombia, technology is helping archaeologists remove the death masks of ancient mummies for the first time, while in modern cities, it is changing how the living face the end of life.

Ancient Masks

Mummy Research

Modern Tech

End-of-Life Care

Introduction: A Nation's Complicated Relationship with Death

Colombia presents a unique paradox in its relationship with death. The country is simultaneously a pioneer in end-of-life rights and a nation where violence against land and environmental defenders has reached crisis levels ¹ .

This complex backdrop makes Colombia a fascinating laboratory for examining how technology intersects with mortality. From the digital reconstruction of ancient funerary practices to the implementation of tools for mourning in a digital age, technology is providing new ways to honor, understand, and make decisions about death.

This article explores how modern tools are unlocking secrets of the afterlife from centuries past while shaping a more dignified and accessible death care system for the present.

Ancient Practices

Exploring pre-Hispanic burial traditions and death masks through modern technology.

Modern Innovations

How digital tools are transforming end-of-life care and mourning practices.

Unmasking the Past: A Digital Journey into Pre-Hispanic Colombia

The Discovery

In the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes, archaeologists discovered the mummified remains of four individuals from pre-Hispanic populations. These were no ordinary remains; each was buried with a stylized death mask made of resin, clay, wax, and maize, a practice rare in Colombia though more common in other parts of pre-Columbian South America ⁷ ⁹ .

Radiocarbon dating placed these individuals as having lived between 1216 and 1797. The group consisted of a 6- to 7-year-old child, a woman in her 60s, and two young adult males ⁷ . Their graves had been looted, leaving little archaeological context, but the masks remained, though damaged with missing noses and chunks along the bases ⁷ .

The Four Unmasked Individuals

Individual	Estimated Age	Sex	Date Range	Mask Composition
Individual 1	6-7 years	Unknown	1216-1797 CE	Resin, clay, wax, maize
Individual 2	60s	Female	1216-1797 CE	Resin, clay, wax, maize
Individual 3	Young Adult	Male	1216-1797 CE	Resin, clay, wax, maize
Individual 4	Young Adult	Male	1216-1797 CE	Resin, clay, wax, maize

The Digital Experiment: Methodology

A team from Liverpool John Moores University's Face Lab embarked on a groundbreaking project to reveal the faces beneath these ancient masks without physically touching the fragile remains. Jessica Liu, the project manager, explained their process in a statement about the project ⁷ .

Methodology: A Step-by-Step Process

CT Scanning

Researchers first performed CT scans on the masked skulls. This technology uses X-rays to generate virtual 3D images by compiling numerous 2D slices of a subject ⁷ .

Digital Unmasking

Using the CT scan data, the team "effectively unmasked the skull digitally" by isolating and removing the layers containing the mask material ⁷ .

Virtual Sculpting

With the skulls digitally exposed, researchers used specialized software and a haptic touch stylus pen to superimpose muscles, soft tissue, and fat onto the bony structure. Liu described this as "virtual sculpting, where you use the scaffolding of the skull to get the tissue to perfectly fit the individual" ⁷ .

Adding Features and Texture

The most challenging part came next: adding facial features and texture. Nose shape was determined by measuring the skull's bony tissues and selecting the best-fitting option from an array. The team then added skin, eye, and hair color typical of the region, followed by fine details like wrinkles, pores, and eyelashes ⁷ .

Digital Reconstruction Process

The digital reconstruction process combines multiple technologies to recreate facial features from skeletal remains.

Digital Reconstruction Methodology

Step	Technology Used	Process Description	Key Challenge
1. Data Capture	CT Scanner	Created virtual 3D images using X-ray "slices"	Isolating mask material from skull in scan data
2. Skull Exposure	Digital Software	Digitally removed layers containing the mask	Preventing digital damage to the underlying skull structure
3. Tissue Building	Specialized software & haptic stylus	Superimposed muscle, soft tissue, and fat onto the skull	Using average tissue depth data that may not be period-specific
4. Final Detailing	Texture modeling software	Added skin tone, eyes, hair, and fine details like pores	Unknown individual characteristics (scarring, tattoos, exact skin tone)

Limitations

The researchers are careful to note these are not photographic portraits. The team used average facial tissue depth data from modern-day adult male Colombians for the two males, but no equivalent data existed for the child or female ⁷ .

Results

The digital reconstructions, presented during the 11th World Congress on Mummy Studies in August 2024, revealed for the first time how these individuals may have looked during their lifetimes ⁷ .

Beyond the Ancient: Technology in Modern Colombian Death Care

While technology is revealing Colombia's past, it is also transforming how the nation handles death today. This transformation happens on multiple fronts, from the very personal to the broadly political.

Digital Tools for Modern Mourning

Globally, the funeral industry is adopting technologies that have become particularly relevant in Colombia, where families may be dispersed due to internal violence or migration.

Once a pandemic necessity, live-streaming funerals remains popular for its ability to include distant relatives and friends. This creates a more accessible mourning process and allows for the creation of lasting online memorial spaces ⁵ .

AI tools are emerging to assist with time-consuming tasks like obituary writing, using templates and prompts based on family input. This allows grieving families to focus on personalization rather than structure. AI-powered chatbots can also provide basic grief support and resources outside of business hours ⁸ .

Online platforms allow families to upload photos, music, and documents directly to funeral homes and collaborate on arrangements despite geographical distances ⁸ .

Technology and the Right to a Dignified Death

Colombia stands out in Latin America as a pioneer in end-of-life rights. In a landmark move, its Constitutional Court decriminalized euthanasia in 1997 and affirmed it as a fundamental right in 2015 ⁶ .

Legal Framework

In late 2025, the Colombian Congress approved a bill in its first debate to formally regulate euthanasia ⁶ . This legislative effort, spearheaded by Congressman Juan Carlos Losada, aims to "create a clear legal framework to ensure access" to what the courts have already recognized ⁶ .

Euthanasia Procedures in Colombia (2015-2023)

Data from the independent think tank DescLAB shows that between 2015 and 2023, 692 euthanasia procedures were recorded in Colombia, with cancer patients accounting for 76% of cases ⁶ .

The Scientist's Toolkit: From Ancient Masks to Modern Tech

Item	Category	Function/Use
Resin, Clay, Wax, Maize	Ancient Material	Primary components of the original death masks; created a stylized facial representation for the afterlife ⁷ .
CT Scanner	Modern Technology	Generated virtual 3D images of the masked remains, allowing non-invasive examination of both mask and skull ⁷ .
Haptic Touch Stylus Pen	Modern Technology	Enabled "virtual sculpting" by allowing researchers to feel resistance as they added digital tissue to the skull ⁷ .
Facial Tissue Depth Data	Modern Reference	Provided average measurements for adding realistic soft tissue thickness to the skulls of the two adult males ⁷ .
Online Memorial Platforms	Funeral Tech	Creates lasting digital spaces for sharing memories, photos, and condolences, making services accessible to distant relatives ⁵ ⁸ .
Funeral Home Management Software	Funeral Tech	Integrates customer relationship management (CRM), scheduling, and documentation, streamlining operations for funeral directors ⁵ ⁸ .

Conclusion: A Bridge Across Time

Technology's role in Colombia's relationship with death is multifaceted, serving as a bridge between the ancient and the modern.

Uncovering the Past

In the archaeological realm, it allows us to respectfully uncover and honor the past without disturbing physical remains.

Connecting the Present

In contemporary society, it provides tools for connection, access, and personalization during times of grief.

Shaping the Future

Medical and legal advancements seek to ensure a dignified end for those suffering.

From the digital removal of a pre-Hispanic death mask to the use of a live stream for a modern funeral service, the common thread is the use of technology to preserve memory, honor life, and navigate mortality with greater compassion and understanding.

As Colombia continues to grapple with its complex present, these technological tools offer ways to both reclaim its past and shape a more dignified future for all its people.