Archaeologists have seen the face of a woman who has been dead for thousands of years in mysterious circumstances.

Known as 'Ava', this Bronze Age woman died more than 3,700 years ago, but has been brought back to life in a two-dimensional image.

Unusually, the Bronze Age woman was buried in a pit dug into solid rock and her skull is an abnormal shape - which some suggest was the result of deliberate binding.

Ava died more than 3,700 years ago, but has brought her back to life in a two-dimensional image. Using facial reconstruction and stock images, experts performed an anthropological assessment of the skull found at Achavanich in Caithness in 1987 to piece together her facial features and skin

WHO WAS AVA? According to the researchers, Ava was a young female, aged between 18-22 years old. She was likely part of a larger community who reared animals and possibly grew crops. She was buried in the north of Scotland, in a place called Achavanich in the heart of Caithness.' Advertisement

Using facial reconstruction and stock images, experts used the skull found at Achavanich in Caithness in 1987 to piece together her facial features and skin.

'Ava', an abbreviation of Achavanich, is part of of Archaeologist Maya Hoole's two-year project 'Achavanich Beaker Burial Project.

During the research, Hoole and her team determined that this ancient woman was once a member of the European group, Beaker People.

This population settled in Britain around 2500 BC and brought metal, the wheel and a less centralized political culture to the new country – which ultimately put an end to the mass monument building of the Ancient Britons.

These ancient humans were also known for their short and round skull shapes, as Ava's was found to be abnormal and uneven - which was clear even though her lower jaw is missing.

'The research that has been carried out so far would suggest that she was a young female, aged between 18-22 years old who was likely part of a larger community who reared animals and possibly grew crops,' Hoole told DailyMail.com

'She was buried in the north of Scotland, in a place called Achavanich in the heart of Caithness.'

'At present we know very little about her life, which is one of the reasons I set up this research project, to learn more about her.

'I'm hoping that the results from the research will tell us more about her, her society and the environment she lived'.

Short and round skull shapes were common amongst this group, but Ms Hoole said the Achavanich specimen is exaggerated and of an abnormal, uneven shape.

HOW WAS AVA RECREATED? An anthropological/pathological assessment of the skull was conducted to determine the age, sex and ancestry of the individual - which showed Ava was Caucasian female in her late teens to early twenties. Photographs of the skull were then taken from different angles and uploaded to a computer. Then a chart of contemporary tissue depth data for Caucasian females was used to add tissue depth markers to appropriate landmarks on the skull. The artist behind the facial reconstruction masterpiece is Hew Morrison, who has worked as a forensic artist since 2014. To begin rebuilding Ava, Marrison performed an anthropological/pathological assessment of the skull to determine the age, sex and ancestry of the individual Before adding the muscle to the skull, forensic artist Hew Morrison took measurements to determine the size of Ava's facial features. And the enamel on the teeth gave clues to the size of her lips and placement of the teeth. Finally, stock images were used to recreate the features of Ava's face and 'morphed' them together with software to produce the final reconstructed image. Once it was clear she was a Caucasian female in her late teens to early twenties, photographs of the skull were taken from different angles and uploaded to a computer. And finally stock images were used to recreate the features of Ava's face, which were 'morphed' together with software to produce the final reconstructed image Advertisement

The artist behind the facial reconstruction masterpiece is Hew Morrison, who has worked as a forensic artist since 2014.

'Two dimensional reconstruction is far less intrusive and reduces the risks of damage to a skull, which is important when one is dealing with archaeological/fragile skeletal remains,' he told DailyMail.com.

To begin rebuilding Ava, Morrison performed an anthropological/pathological assessment of the skull to determine the age, sex and ancestry of the individual.

Once it was clear that she was a Caucasian female in her late teens to early twenties, photographs of the skull were taken from different angles and uploaded to a computer.

'With regards to replacing the mandible of the skull, I implemented a formula that was pioneered by the American Anthropologist Wilton M Krogman in his 1962 book 'The Human Skeleton in Forensic Medicine,' said Morrison.

A chart of contemporary tissue depth data for Caucasian females was then gathered to add tissue depth markers to appropriate landmarks on the skull.

WHO WERE THE BEAKER PEOPLE? Pictures is a drinking vessel found with Ava's remains The Beaker People, who have been partially credited with the building with the second stage of Stonehenge, are late Stone Age people who are thought to have emerged around 2200 BC. Archaeologists gave them their name because of the brightly coloured, geometrically patterned earthenware drinking vessels that were found in many graves. These ancient humans were also known for their short and round skull shapes, as Ava's was found to be abnormal and uneven - which was clear even though the lower jaw is missing. It is believed that they are immigrants who cross the North Sea and settled in Britain 2500 BC, in which they brought with them metal, the wheel and a less centralized political culture to the new country – which ultimately put an end to the mass monument building of the Ancient Britons. The Beaker People are known for changing Stonehenge by constructing two concentric but incomplete circles at its center. The presence of the Beaker people in Britain gave created what is now known as the Wessex Culture. The Beaker People are known for changing Stonehenge by constructing two concentric but incomplete circles at its center. A warlike race, they were primarily bowmen and their extensive search for copper and gold greatly accelerated the spread of bronze metallurgy in Europe. Believed top be originally from Spain, the Beaker folk soon spread into central and western Europe in their search for metals. In central Europe they came into contact with the Battle-Ax culture and gradually intermixed and later spread from central Europe to eastern England, where it may have been responsible for erecting some of the megaliths at Stonehenge. Advertisement

'Before I add muscles to the skull that I have drawn digitally, I will take the necessary measurements that will determine the size of the eyes, nose and mouth and mark these areas to keep note of where the features will be placed,' said Morrison.

'The enamel of the teeth determines the size of the lips and the placement of the teeth will determine the width of the mouth.'

'Ava', an abbreviation of Achavanich, is part of of Archaeologist Maya Hoole's two-year project ' Achavanich Beaker Burial Project . Ava's skull was found in a the skull found at Achavanich in Caithness in 1987 (pictured)

And finally, he harnessed the power of stock images to recreate the features of Ava's face, which were 'morphed' together with software to produce the final reconstructed image.

'I felt privileged to be one of the first to see the reconstruction. I set out to do this research to discover her story; seeing her face-to-face for the first time was very humbling,' said Hoole.

'The reconstruction is important because it helps people to see this as an individual and more than just a collection of inanimate objects, of bones and stones.'

'This was a living, breathing person who experienced the world as we do.