| Genetic Drift. The ancient Egyptian dwarfs of the Walters Art Museum. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 20799327 Owner: NLM Status: In-Process |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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The ancient Egyptians left an impressive artistic legacy documenting many aspects of their society including the existence of dwarfs as highly valued members. In previous publications in the Journal, I discussed dwarfs and skeletal dysplasia in ancient Egypt. In this study, I examined the ancient Egyptian representations of dwarfs of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. One of the highlights of the collection is a group of five ivory figurines from Predynastic Times (pre 3500-3100 BCE) depicting a couple, a man with a child, and two females. Representations from other periods include ordinary as well as dwarf deities. The dwarf gods, Bes and Ptah, are frequently depicted holding or biting snakes or standing on crocodiles symbolizing their ability to ward off dangers. A couple of statuettes from the Greco-Roman Period that, in contrast to earlier Egyptian Periods, depict harsh physical anomalies, twisted bodies, and facial pain. The artistic impression can be interpreted as either tragic or humorous. The grotesque depiction of dwarfs during the Greco-Roman Period in ancient Egypt is believed to be due to a greater infusion of Hellenistic influence. This study provides a microcosm of the legacy of dwarfs in ancient Egypt and supports the premise that dwarfs were accepted and integrated in the ancient Egyptian society, and with a few exceptions, their disorder was not depicted as a physical handicap. |
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Authors:
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Chahira Kozma |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: American journal of medical genetics. Part A Volume: 152A ISSN: 1552-4833 ISO Abbreviation: Am. J. Med. Genet. A Publication Date: 2010 Oct |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2010-09-27 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 101235741 Medline TA: Am J Med Genet A Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 2556-62 Citation Subset: IM |
Copyright Information:
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Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
Affiliation:
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Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, District of Colombia 20007, USA. kozmac@georgetown.edu |
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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