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Dr Maria Maclennan

This creator's content focuses on forensic art and archaeology, particularly related to historical human remains. They share information about facial reconstructions of individuals from the past, detailing the scientific methods used, such as DNA analysis and craniofacial approximation. The creator also covers exhibitions and research projects that explore the lives and identities of historical populations, including collaborations with museums and universities. Additionally, their content touches upon the use of personal belongings as forensic evidence, especially in the context of migration.

Where to find Dr Maria Maclennan

Instagram ·forensicjewellery
Followers5.8K
Avg views543
Engagement11.8%
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What kind of content does Dr Maria Maclennan make?

Dr. Maria Maclennan brings a unique blend of forensic art and archaeology to Instagram. Her engaging posts delve into the fascinating world of historical human remains, showcasing intricate facial reconstructions and the scientific methods behind them, from DNA analysis to craniofacial approximation. She also highlights collaborations with museums and universities, offering a glimpse into exhibitions and research that explore the lives and identities of past populations.

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Only FIVE DAYS left to visit our #Edinburgh900 exhibition, ‘Edinburgh’s First Burghers: Revealing the Lives and Hidden Faces of Edinburgh’s Medieval Citizens’ @stgilescathedral! 

Pop down and visit our ‘Burghers’ until 30th November - including SK109, the only juvenile in the exhibition. 

In this young individual’s case, initial (biological) sex determination was ambiguous; however, subsequent DNA analysis confirmed the remains to be that of a biological adult female aged between 12-18 years at time of death. 

In juvenile reconstructions, an adapted methodology is required. Unlike adults, juvenile skulls are still developing, with unfused cranial sutures, less defined facial features, and
variable stages of dental and skeletal maturation. The facial skeleton is proportionally underdeveloped relative to the neurocranium, with ongoing changes to the jaws, teeth, and
nasal aperture. Limited soft tissue data for subadults requires careful use of age-appropriate references to ensure anatomical plausibility and developmental accuracy.

***

Edinburgh’s First Burghers: Revealing the Lives and Hidden Faces of Edinburgh’s Medieval Citizens

📍@StGilesCathedral

📆 Friday 6th June – 30th November 2025

🤝 In Partnership With: @HistEnvScot #Edinburgh900

🪏Archaeology: @Edinburgh_Council 

🧬 aDNA Analysis: @TheFrancisCrickInstitute

🧫 Isotopic Analysis: @UniOfAberdeen

💀 Craniofacial Approximation: @ForensicJewellery (@EdinburghUniversity); @Dr_TobiasHoulton (@Dundee_Uni)

🫧 Visual Projection: @MettjeHunneman 

🎥 Documentary Film: @CinetopiaHub

🙏🏻 Dream Team: John Lawson, Tom Booth, Orsolya Czére, Maria Maclennan, Tobias Houlton, Amanda Rogers, Sarah Phemister, Stephen Preston, Keir Eunson, Gillian Findlay, Karen Lloyd, and many more 

#forensicart #facialimaging #craniofacialreconstruction #craniofacialapproximation #archaeology #medievalarchaeology #stgilescathedral #edinburgh900
🎨 Our @eca_phd showcase in under 30 seconds! Dizzy?! Just imagine how our PGR students feel…!

🎉 The @edinburghcollegeofart PhD Showcase is an annual multidisciplinary event organised by our fabulous @eca_phd community. This year’s event brought together screenings, talks, performances, research posters, and artefacts in an exhibition that reflected the diversity and creativity of PhD research across all disciplines @edinburghcollegeofart, including the School of Art, School of Design, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, School of History of Art, and Reid School of Music.

✨Abid Abbas @abidxdesign (Design)
✨Annie Gallagher @annie.withlandscapes (ESALA)
✨David Lane @davidlaneartist (Art)
✨Emily Clarkson (History of Art)
✨Ethan Zhao @ethan_zhao__ (Art)
✨Hiu Tung Yip @yiphiutung.artjewellery (Art)
✨Irene Aldazabal @irenealdazabal (Art)
✨Jiaxin Li (Art)
✨Mai Tran (Design)
✨Matt Zurowski @mattzurowski (Art)
✨Miriam Hancill miriamhancill (Art)
✨Nilsu Altunok @nilsualtunok (ESALA)
✨Novia Putri Miranny Dewi (Design)
✨Peter Lawson (Music)
✨Siddarth Biswas (Music)
✨Toosha Atta (ESALA)
✨Wei Zhou @wei_zzzhou (Art)
✨Wenjing Fan @wenjingf (Art)
✨Wenqi Zou @wenqi___ (Design)
✨Wenyi Pan @toufuu_gtr (Art)
✨Xutong Yuan @xutongyuan0603 (Art)
✨Yaning Liu @yaningjewellery (Design)
✨Zhiyang Ding (Design)
Another short clip from the documentary film following our current #Edinburgh900 exhibition @stgilescathedral, ‘Edinburgh’s First Burghers: Revealing the Lives and Hidden Faces of Edinburgh’s Medieval Citizens’. 

The full 16-minute version is available to watch as part of the exhibition @stgilescathedral, or online on the @Edinburgh_Council YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/p9mZhQA14C4?si=gcmyxLuCpiOZFh7R

Filmed, directed, and produced by @CinetopiaHub, the film features members of the project team in addition to Cathedral staff, discussing the results and importance of the research to the heritage of both the City of Edinburgh and St Giles’ Cathedral.

Celebrating the 900th anniversaries of @StGilesCathedral and Edinburgh, the project is currently being exhibited within the Cathdral until 30 November. The work brings together new research by @Edinburgh_Council’s Archaeology Service, and scientists and experts from @TheFrancisCrickInstitute (Ancient DNA), @UniOfAberdeen (Isotopic Analysis), and @DundeeUni @EdinburghUniversity (#ForensicArt #FacialApproximation) to reimagine the remains of Medieval burials first excavated in 1981.

The exhibition features facial approximations of 5 early ‘Edinburghers’ created by @forensicjewellery, projected throughout the Cathedral courtesy of new lighting displays by @MettjeHunneman.

Please stop by over the coming weeks and say hello to our ‘Edinburghers’!

***

Edinburgh’s First Burghers: Revealing the Lives and Hidden Faces of Edinburgh’s Medieval Citizens

📍@StGilesCathedral

📆 Friday 6th June – 30th November 2025

🤝 In Partnership With: @HistEnvScot #Edinburgh900

🪏Archaeology: @Edinburgh_Council 

🧬 aDNA Analysis: @TheFrancisCrickInstitute

🧫 Isotopic Analysis: @UniOfAberdeen

💀 Craniofacial Approximation: @ForensicJewellery (@EdinburghUniversity); @Dr_TobiasHoulton (@Dundee_Uni)

🫧 Visual Projection: @MettjeHunneman 

🎥 Documentary Film: @CinetopiaHub

🙏🏻 Dream Team: John Lawson, Tom Booth, Orsolya Czére, Kate Britton, Maria Maclennan, Tobias Houlton, Amanda Rogers, Sarah Phemister, Stephen Preston, Keir Eunson, Gillian Findlay, Karen Lloyd, and many more
Introducing the next individual from our #Edinburgh900 exhibition, ‘Edinburgh’s First Burghers: Revealing the Lives and Hidden Faces of Edinburgh’s Medieval Citizens’.

SK110 was an adult biological male of approximately 35-45 years of age at time of death. They presented with signs of a large osteosarcoma (cancerous bone tumour) along the inside of the nose, just behind the left eye. 

During life, the cancer is likely to have visually presented as a large lump on the individual’s surface anatomy, a feature that was thus incorporated into the resulting facial approximation
together with a reddened nose, indicative of the presumed pain, nasal obstruction, and prolific nosebleeds the individual was thought to experience during life.

***

Edinburgh’s First Burghers: Revealing the Lives and Hidden Faces of Edinburgh’s Medieval Citizens

📍@StGilesCathedral

📆 Friday 6th June – 30th November 2025

🤝 In Partnership With: @HistEnvScot #Edinburgh900

🪏Archaeology: @Edinburgh_Council 

🧬 aDNA Analysis: @TheFrancisCrickInstitute

🧫 Isotopic Analysis: @UniOfAberdeen

💀 Craniofacial Approximation: @ForensicJewellery (@EdinburghUniversity); @Dr_TobiasHoulton (@Dundee_Uni)

🫧 Visual Projection: @MettjeHunneman 

🎥 Documentary Film: @CinetopiaHub

🙏🏻 Dream Team: John Lawson, Tom Booth, Orsolya Czére, Maria Maclennan, Tobias Houlton, Amanda Rogers, Sarah Phemister, Stephen Preston, Keir Eunson, Gillian Findlay, Karen Lloyd, and many more 

#forensicart #facialimaging #craniofacialreconstruction #craniofacialapproximation #archaeology #medievalarchaeology #stgilescathedral #edinburgh900

Who is Dr Maria Maclennan’s audience?

Dr. Maria Maclennan's audience is likely composed of individuals with a keen interest in history, science, and the intersection of art and forensics. Their intent signals are strong, driven by curiosity about historical mysteries and the scientific processes behind uncovering them. The exceptionally high engagement rate of 11.78% on Instagram, significantly exceeding benchmarks like TikTok (3.0%), Instagram (1.5%), and YouTube (2.0%), indicates a highly dedicated and interactive community. This suggests a strong potential for deep engagement with content exploring facial reconstruction, DNA analysis, and the interpretation of historical remains.

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