DISEASES OF THE SKULL IN PRE-COLUMBIAN SOUTH-AMERICAN MUMMIES

OBJECTIVE: The majority of paleopathological investigations focus on t he study of the skull. This is because the skull is the most frequentl y preserved part of the human body recovered from archaeological excav ations. From studying the skull, a variety of information can be obtai ned regarding the individual, such as sex, age, nutritional status, an d other disease processes, if present. METHODS: This study represents the examination of more than 700 human skulls recovered from archaeolo gical excavations from the Andean region of southern Peru and northern Chile and dating back more than 8000 years. RESULTS: A variety of sku ll abnormalities were encountered. The nonmetric variables of Huschke' s foramina and palatine tori were common. Cranial deformation was obse rved in more than 85% of the cases. There were two cases of sagittal s ynostosis. Iron deficiency anemia resulting in porotic hyperostosis of the skull was evident in certain cultures. Exostoses of the external auditory canal resulting from chronic otitis was evident only among co astal populations. One skull demonstrated a periostitis consistent wit h Treponema infection. Trephination was encountered only in the skulls from Peru. Fifty-four cases of skull fractures were observed, half of which showed evidence of healing. Finally, only two cases of neoplast ic skull lesions were encountered. CONCLUSION: The study of the human skull alone provides a large amount of information regarding the healt h and diseases of ancient populations.