[MR] BBC: 3-D Model of Robert the Bruce

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots,

Today BBC Scotland is offering a feature about a 3-D reconstruction of
Robert the Bruce's face.

For the uninitiated, Robert the Bruce declared himself King of Scots in
1306 and raised a rebellion against the English king Edward I who had
conquered all of Scotland. For the next eight years King Robert kept
Scottish independence alive. His campaign to free Scotland concluded in
1314 when his army decisively defeated a much larger English force led by
the clueless Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn. Robert ruled a
reunited Scotland until his death from natural causes in 1329 at the age of
55.

Robert the Bruce was buried in Dunfermline Abbey, which was later trashed
during the Protestant reformation, including destroying the king's tomb. In
1818 during work to remove the crumbling abbey's remains for a new church,
Robert the Bruce's lost grave was uncovered. When the grave was opened his
skeleton was removed for study before reburial, and a plaster cast was made
of the skull. This famous cast served as the basis for the current 3-D
model.

The reconstruction was based on the cast using modern forensic techniques
to add muscle and skin layers. The model is dressed with a crowned helmet
based on what the King likely wore at the Battle of Bannockburn.

The model is currently on display at the reconstructed Dunfermline Abbey to
celebrate the 750th anniversary of Robert the Bruce's birth. Two versions
were actually created, one showing the supposed effects of leprosy which
some contemporary non-Scottish critics claimed was the cause of the King's
demise. It is doubtful that he died from this disease. Recent analysis of
the skull casting, and examination of a foot bone still in possession of
Bruce descendants, shows none of the deterioration typical of leprosy.

Since most of us aren't going to rush over to the *auld country* to see the
model, we will have to be content with the BBC images at
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx023de3vkqo .

A Wikipedia biography is found at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, A Proud Scottish Descendant  🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Continuing a crusade to keep Merry Rose relevant and in business.