Stigmata of Congenital Syphilis on a High Status Juvenile at Yuguë, Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

Presented here is a case study from Mesoamerica whose dentition resembles the dental stigmata of others who have been described as having congenital syphilis. Found with a green stone bracelet, this child was likely a high-status member of a pre-Colombian population from the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca, Mexico (late Terminal Formative Period, 150 BCE – CE 250). While taphonomic changes precluded in-depth observations of the skeleton, dental traits such as plane-like hypoplastic defect and Fournier’s molars are described and compared to previous studies. Additionally, a two-tier system is introduced for describing dental malformations that may suggest either environmental variation in the bacterial assault or in host response.