Earliest archaeological evidence of the Ancon mutation in sheep from Leicester,UK

The excavation of a 16th century archaeological site in Leicester, UK, produced sheep bones exhibiting the characteristic deformation of the Ancon dwarf but predating the earliest historical record of this mutation by some 200 years. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Providing Cultural Context for ‘Sacrifice of the Social Outcasts’

In ‘Sacrifice of the Social Outcasts’, C.L. Kieffer proposes that the disabled formed a socially marginal group that might have been preferentially targeted for human sacrifice in ancient Maya society. Extensive ethnohistoric and iconographic evidence exists that the disabled and deformed held high status in pre‐contact Mesoamerica precisely because of their physical disabilities and played well‐defined social roles. Several incidences of the sacrifice of these individuals are produced, but they are associated with extraordinary events. The actual cultural context suggests that the sacrifice of a disabled individual may have larger social implications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rare example of an early medieval dwarf infant from Brownslade,Wales

A rescue excavation at an early medieval Welsh cemetery has revealed rare evidence of an achondroplastic infant dwarf. The osteological examination revealed that the infant exhibited many characteristic features of dysplasia including proportionately short limbs, the early development of coxa vara and bowing tibia, whilst exhibiting normal trunk development. The exceptional preservation of such a good example of an achondroplastic infant will greatly contribute to the palaeopathological knowledge of this hereditary disease. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.