Two (Missing) Left Feet: Caring for Foot Amputees in Late Pre-Hispanic Túcume, Lambayeque Peru

Phillips M.; Cruz V.; Martin E.K.; Smith D.R.; Elias B.D.; Villalt J.M.E.; Toyne J.M. · Bioarchaeology International (2021) · DOI: 10.5744/bi.2021.1010

Resumen

Understanding pre-Hispanic Andean medical practices through skeletal evidence of surgery has been the focus of a number of bioarchaeological investigations in recent years. Amputation is an especially interesting topic of research due to the variety of social contexts in which it might have occurred. Interpretations for amputation found on the north coast of Peru have included therapeutic intervention, punitive measures, and ritualistic dismemberment. Here, we present two new cases of successful left foot amputation in young adult females excavated from Huaca Las Balsas (Late Intermediate Period, A.D. 1100-1470) and Huaca Las Abejas (Late Horizon, A.D. 1470-1535) at the ancient religious and administrative center of Tucume. Chronologically, they are the latest cases of pre-Hispanic amputation published to date. Contextual evidence supports a therapeutic motivation for the procedure, as individualized burial treatment and placement within a cemetery group of social elites is not consistent with punitive or ritualistic action. Modification of the malleoli, extensive bone proliferation covering the talar articulations, and asymmetrical cortical bone thickness of the tibiae and fibulae (revealed radiographically) suggest the return of some functional mobility using the affected limb after healing. This long-term recovery is evidence of access to quality medical care and accommodation of functional impairment within the amputees' communities. The presented research uses the bioarchaeology of care approach to explore the lived experiences of these amputees and their social identities, making an important contribution to the anthropology of disability across cultures and time periods.