The Depiction of Smallpox and Other Dermatologic Lesions on the Surfaces of Ancient Terracotta Statues from Mali, West Africa.
J Community Health
; 46(5): 1036-1049, 2021 10.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34435304
ABSTRACT
Between 1100 A.D. and 1700 A.D., terracotta statues were created in the Interior Delta of the Niger River in what is now the Republic of Mali. They are known as Djenné-Jeno terracottas because of their geographic proximity to an ancient town of that name. Some of these statues possess surface excrescences that have long perplexed archaeologists, art historians, curators, and others. This study of these surface excrescences employed clinical, diagnostic, and epidemiological methodologies to elucidate their possible meanings. It has not been possible to ascribe these excrescences to a single cause. However, examination of all the evidence permitted consideration of several possibilities. These include diseases such as smallpox, onchocerciasis, and the secondary stage of venereal syphilis. On certain statues, the anatomic placement of excrescences possibly symbolizes intentional cicatrization that resulted in keloid formation which may have been a form of beautification.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Onchocerciasis
/
Smallpox
/
Syphilis
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
J Community Health
Year:
2021
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States