The lips are somewhat better constrained by the dentition and the structure of the anterior alveolar process — the bony ridge that supports the front teeth — but still involve substantial interpretive latitude.

For Zlatý kůň, Zedníková Malá worked from the skull morphology, integrated the genomic pigmentation data, and produced a face that reflected her reading of the underlying bone structure through the trained lens of forensic practice.

The Manchester method is the most widely applied facial reconstruction technique in archaeology, and it has a track record both in criminal forensic contexts and in the reconstruction of historical and ancient individuals.

Its strengths are its grounding in measurable anatomical data and its relative transparency — the tissue depth measurements and anatomical principles that drive the reconstruction can be examined and critiqued by other specialists.