A case of disability and care during Inca times

To evaluate pathological lesions observed in an individual and use them as a means to explore cultural patterns of caregiving.

A well-preserved female skeleton aged 45 years or older exhibiting an unusual distribution and severity of alterations on joints. The individual comes from a Late Horizon cemetery (1400-1550 CE) in the Copiapó Valley, northern Chile.

Visual analysis was utilized to estimate sex and age, followed by a paleopathological differential diagnosis. Additionally, a model of disability and care was applied.

Our examination suggests the presence of a polyarticular arthritic condition. The differential diagnosis pointed to spondyloarthritis, affecting the spine, sacrum, hands, knees and feet. The individual was buried without any discernible distinction from others within their local group.

This case presents new evidence of the presence of spondyloarthritis in populations of South America before Spanish colonization, which probably produced mobility limitations. Additionally, it provides evidence of caregiving practices in the Copiapó society during the Late Horizon.

Our study contributes to the understanding of spondyloarthritis during the Inca period in northern Chile and indicates that despite living in a time of political transformation, labor demands, and social pressures related to Inca territorial expansion, caregivers appeared to have possessed adequate resources and time to offer aid and secure survival for individuals impacted by chronic disease.

Molecular indicators of arthritis were not included in our analysis.

A comparative study involving other instances of arthropathies associated with inflammatory disorders in the Andes region could offer valuable insights.