Genetic and congenital disorders in pre-Hispanic Moche pottery.

The Moche were a pre-Hispanic, pre-Incan people who inhabited northwestern Peru from 50 to 850 AD and left behind a large body of ceramic artwork. We present 26 pieces from 5 museums, which seem to show individuals with malformations, minor anomalies, and possible genetic syndromes. Possible diagnoses include cleft lip and palate, ocular anomalies such as hypertelorism and orbital dystopia, oligo- and polydactyly, conjoined twinning, clubfoot, Down syndrome, Crouzon syndrome, and Seckel syndrome. These ceramic portraits suggest that these people with received a certain respect or even elevated status within their society.