Two cases of smallpox from 1540 CE circum-contact (early colonial) Northern Coastal Peru

Abstract

ObjectiveThis project seeks to create a differential diagnosis for lesions found on the skeletal remains of two children as a means to explore the presence of viral disease in 16th- century Peru. MaterialsExtremely well-preserved human remains of two children who died between the ages of 1–2 years old, recovered from the circum-contact (∼1540 CE) cemetery in Huanchaco, Peru. MethodsMacroscopic and radiographic analysis. ResultsBoth individuals present with cortical thickening, symmetrical destructive lesions, metaphyseal expansion, perforations, exposure of the medullary cavity, resorption of metaphyseal ends and necrosis of the long bones, and deposited reactive new bone. These features are consistent with osteomyelitis variolosa and bacterial osteomyelitis. ConclusionsThree features of Individuals IG-124 and IG-493 suggest a highly consistent diagnosis of osteomyelitis variolosa: multiple skeletal lesions, the historical context of the area, and the high mortality rate of non-adults in the circum-contact cemetery. SignificanceAlthough viral infections are ubiquitous and well documented historically, their etiologies are often difficult to determine in archaeological populations. Orthopoxvirus variola (smallpox) is one of the many viruses whose archaeological impact is still under explored in skeletal remains. LimitationsThe absence of smallpox in other children from the Huanchaco cemetery creates difficulty in ascertaining true prevalence rates or information on potential outbreaks. Suggestions for further researchFurther research analyzing aDNA from calculus and/or residues using a DIP-GC-MS method might create a better understanding of how smallpox spread through the region.