Beauty in the "Beasts": Ancient Perceptions of Genetic Disorders

Today’s blog post is dedicated to my Anth 102 students, who were tasked with completing a service learning assignment as part of their course requirements.  For this assignment they were to create a teaching/learning tool on a topic related to Mendelian Genetics.  The following is my contribution to this initiative.

Biology and culture intersect in a variety of different ways.  The most common means of intersection is the cultural preference toward certain biological characteristics.  For example, blonde hair and blue eyes is considered beautiful in many modern cultures, although both characteristics are randomly inherited based on the alleles present in each contributing parent.  Much like today, people in the past placed importance and preference on specific traits, although they are not traits that most modern peoples would find preferential.  Today’s blog post will explore ancient perceptions of specific genetic disorders, and the ancient Egyptians, Olmec, and Inca will be the subject of this discussion.

Ancient Egyptians & Achondroplasia

Achondroplasia, popularly known as “dwarfism”, is a genetic disorder that presents as short stature and limbs in afflicted individuals.  Achondroplasia is inherited through an autosomal dominant chromosome, which means that individuals need only one copy of the allele to have the condition.  This situation, where individuals ­­­carry only one copy of the chromosome, is biologically favored as individuals who carry two copies typically are stillborn or die shortly after birth.  This condition is caused by a mutation of a specific gene, known as the FGFR3 gene, and because of the this, it is common for two individuals who do not have achondroplasia to produce a child with achondroplasia.  Because of the automsomal dominance nature of this trait there is also an increased likelihood that the offspring of two parents with achondroplasia will also have this condition but could still produce offspring without the condition if they pass on the recessive, non-affected chromosome.

Figure 1: Bas relief of Bes, an Egyptian god with achondroplasia (Image Source)

 

Views of those with achondroplasia do vary within modern societies, although there is a history of them being treated poorly in American culture.  In ancient Egyptian culture, individuals with achondroplasia were revered as evidenced by iconographic and historical records.  Their condition was not considered a medical disorder based on the lack of mention of the condition in Egyptian medical texts.  Individuals with achondroplasia were employed in special positions, such as personal attendants to the Pharaohs and noble citizens, animal tenders, jewelers, entertainers, and midwives.  This was because these individuals were considered to be manifestations of the primary god, the Sun god, Ra.  In addition, two of the lesser gods, Ptah and Bes (Figure 1), were depicted with this condition, further supporting the notion that individuals with achondroplasia were celebrated.  Overall, these individuals were not shunned from society but instead embraced and celebrated.

Ancient Olmec and Down’s Syndrome

Down’s syndrome is a genetic condition caused by having an extra chromosome.  Typically, humans have 46 chromosomes, but individuals with Down’s syndrome have an additional copy of the 21^st chromosome.  It is uncertain how specifically Down’s syndrome is passed on to offspring, but the advanced age of the mother is believed to increase the likelihood of this condition existing in offspring.  Individuals with Down’s syndrome typically have diminished intellect, as well as physical features, including flattened faces, broad noses, slanted eyes, shorter stature, and small hands and feet.

 

Figure 2: Were Jaguar Child Sculpture (Image Source)

 

The Olmec culture existed in Central America from 1500 BC to AD 300.  It is a culture characterized by various religious cults, the most prolific of which centered around the jaguar.  Jaguars were considered sacred among the Olmec, a trend consistent with later cultures (e.g. the Maya and Aztecs), and several jaguar-like sculptures have been discovered and are associated with the culture.  The most common is that of a child with feline characteristics (Figure 2).  Scholars analyzing the sculptures’ features have identified similarities between them and the physical features of individuals with Down’s Syndromes.  Features in the sculpture that are identified as being linked to Down’s syndrome include the slanted eyes, puffy faces, downward drawn lower lips, and broad noses.  It is believed that the Olmec believed that individuals with Down’s syndrome were the offspring of jaguar-human sexual relations, specifically that of a relationship between a jaguar-deity and human woman, and therefore individuals with Down’s syndrome were held in high esteem.

 

Ancient Inca & Cleft Lip

Cleft lip is the lack of fusion of the skin that makes up the lip.  Cleft lip can occur on either side of the lip or in the center.  There is no common incidence of the location of the cleft lip.  It is unclear what specifically causes cleft lip, although it is believed that both genetic and environmental factors lead to this condition.  Individuals with cleft lip often have problems eating, as well as deficiencies linked to proper dental development.

Figure 3: Inca Blackware pottery depicting cleft lip (Google Images)

 Individuals born with a cleft lip were believed to have been blessed by lightning and therefore were considered godly and special among ancient Inca people (Figure 3).  Those with cleft lip were reserved for special sacrificial rituals honoring lightning and sacred mountain huacas (sacred places).  This may not seem like a benefit in our modern contexts, but to the Inca becoming a sacrifice was a great honor, one reserved for a sacred few.  While this practice is associated specifically with the ancient Inca there is evidence of the veneration of individuals with cleft palate occurring among earlier groups, such as the Moche.  It is believed that the Moche identified individuals with cleft palate being the children of the lightning, and these individuals were treated accordingly, with both admiration and fear. 

Bibliography

Dasen, V.  1988.  “Dwarfism in Egypt and Classical Antiquity: Iconography and Medical History.”  Medical History 32: 253-276.

Kozma, C.  2006.  “Historical Review: Dwarfs in Ancient Egypt.”  American Journal of Medical Genetics 140A: 303-311.

Milton, G. and R. Gonzalo.  1974.  “Jaguar Cult—Down’s Syndrome-Were-Jaguar.”  Expedition 16: 33-35.

Murdy, CN.  1981.  “Congenital Deformities and the Olmec Were-Jaguar Motif.”  American Antiquity 46: 861-871.

No Author.  2012.  “Achondroplasia.”  Genetics Home Reference: Your Guide to Understanding Genetic Conditions.  https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/achondroplasia

No Author.  2015.  “Facts About Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate.”  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/cleftlip.html

No Author.  2016.  “Facts About Down’s Syndrome.”  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/DownSyndrome.html

Reeves, C.  2001.  Egyptian Medicine.  Shire Publication LTD: Buckinghamshire.

Staller, J.E. and B. Stross.  2013.  Lightning in the Andes and Mesoamerica: Pre-Columbian, Colonial, and Contemporary Perspectives.  Oxford University Press: Oxford.