Forensic Facial Approximation of the Skull Attributed to Wenceslas of Bohemia (ca. 907–935)

This study presents a digital forensic facial approximation of Wenceslas, Duke of Bohemia (ca. 907–935), based on photographs of the skull attributed to the saint, preserved in St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague. The skull was replicated through structural deformation using public domain images, adjusted to historical measurements, and enriched with anthropometric data. The facial approximation combined traditional techniques with statistical projections from tomography of living individuals, resulting in two versions: an objective one and another with artistic and more speculative elements based on historical descriptions. Comparisons with Petr Parler’s 14th-century statue and a previous reconstruction revealed structural consistency, suggesting the skull may have inspired the sculpture. This work contributes to humanizing historical figures and reinforces Wenceslas’s legacy as a Czech icon.