Until the discovery of penicillin in the 20th century, syphilis was a fatal sexually transmitted infection. A Brazilian graphic designer recently reconstructed the face of a 16th-century Icelandic woman, presumably suffering from an advanced stage.
A striking case of advanced syphilis
Although the identity of this woman remains mysterious, the analysis of her bones, exhumed from the cemetery adjoining the monastery of Skriðuklaustur ten years ago, revealed that she was between 25 and 30 years old at the time of his death. Besides the syphilisresponsible for the formation of significant cranial lesions, her skeleton revealed that she suffered from osteoarthritis and enamel hypoplasia, a dental defect due to nutritional deficiencies during childhood.
Having previously illustrated himself by digitally recreating the faces of a Paleolithic teenager and a medieval farmer who met a violent endCicero Moraes proceeded to reconstitution that of the unfortunate Icelander, suffering from tertiary syphilis.
Although the lower jaw is missing, Moraes was able to use the 3D model of the skull as a guide, applying virtual markers defining the thickness of the soft tissues (tendons, muscles and skin) to recreate the curvature of his face. In order to refine the rendering, the Brazilian graphic designer also relied on the cranial structures of European women who lived during the same period and died at a similar age.
L’final work shows deep lesions on the Icelandic woman’s right cheek and forehead, illustrating the severity of syphilis symptoms when this bacterial infection is not properly treated. ” While it is difficult to establish the cause of his death on the basis of the skull alone, the disease clearly had an impact on his health. », estimate Moraes.
Herbal remedies to relieve symptoms
While antibiotics such as penicillin can quickly eliminate syphilis today, by the 16th century Europeans often relied on herbal remedies and skin ointments containing mercury to relieve the symptoms of this condition. Sweat baths were also popular, as they were mistakenly thought to help eliminate ” syphilitic poisons ».
« With the medications we currently have, a state as advanced as depicted by the facial representation is very unlikely, but unlikely does not mean impossible. concludes Moraes.