Testimonies of an Autochthonous Illness on the Anthropomorphic Pottery in Ancient Peru
Authors
Carla Serarcangeli
Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology University La Sapienza, Rome, I
Alfredo Pennica
Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases University La Sapienza, Rome, I
Keywords:
Moche , Huacos , Uta
Abstract
The vases belonging to the Mochica civilization of the Precolombian period in Peru represent images that strongly recall pain and illness. In particular the anthropomorphic vessels show in a very realistic fashion severe facial lesions probably associated with different diseases such as cutaneous Leishmaniasis. The different types of leishmaniasis may, in fact, produce asymptomatic visceral, cutaneous, or muco-cutaneous infections, the latter causing remarkable facial deformities like those represented in the vascular production.
