Congenital anomalies of the vertebral column: a case study on ancient and modern Egypt

The aim of this paper is to identify the frequency of congenital anomalies of the vertebral column in ancient Egyptians. The material for this study consisted of 272 skeletons excavated from Giza and belonging to the Old Kingdom (the time of the early pyramid builders). The vertebral columns of thes...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of osteoarchaeology 2006-05, Vol.16 (3), p.200-207
Main Authors: Sarry El-Din, Azza Mohamed, El Banna, Rokia Abd El-Shafy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ancient Egyptians
congenital anomalies
Egyptian civilization
Genetic disorders
Human remains
Paleontology
Skeletal system
vertebral column
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Summary:The aim of this paper is to identify the frequency of congenital anomalies of the vertebral column in ancient Egyptians. The material for this study consisted of 272 skeletons excavated from Giza and belonging to the Old Kingdom (the time of the early pyramid builders). The vertebral columns of these skeletons were examined for the different types of congenital anomalies that affect the vertebrae. Nine cases (3.33%) were affected with spina bifida occulta, while six cases (2.22%) had transitional vertebrae at the lumbosacral joint. These frequencies are compared with other ancient populations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ISSN:1047-482X
1099-1212
DOI:10.1002/oa.816