Emperor Wu united the northern part of the country and toppled the Northern Qi dynasty between 560 and 578 AD, founding the Northern Zhou dynasty in ancient China.
The emperor was a member of the Xianbei, a nomadic people who resided in northern and northeastern China as well as modern-day Mongolia and are little studied.
More than thirty years after his tomb was discovered in northwest China, Shanghai-based researchers at Fudan University used his nearly complete skull and DNA to rebuild his face in three dimensions.
Co-corresponding author Pianpian Wei of Fudan University stated: “Our work brought historical figures to life.”
In the past, the only ways that people could imagine what ancient people looked like were through historical records or murals.
