A probable case of gigantism in a fifth Dynasty skeleton from the Western Cemetery at Giza, Egypt

Mulhern, Dawn M.

doi:10.1002/oa.781

Cited by 16 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 29 publications

(40 reference statements)

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“…Gigantism is a very rare disease (modern annual incidence: 3/1,000,000), rarely documented in ancient skeletal remains (Mulhern, ), so we suppose the great height of the individual we have studied must have made him a curiosity in Roman society. Unfortunately, we know nothing about the presence of giants in the Roman world and whether or not they were treated differently from others, but we know that during the Imperial Age, the members of the high society developed a pronounced taste for entertainers with evident physical malformations, such as hunchbacks and dwarfs.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…In palaeopathological literature gigantism has been rarely documented: a Polish female skeleton probably affected by gigantism dating to 12 th –13 th centuries AD was described by Gladykowska‐Rzeczycka et al . (), and a probable case was reported in a Fifth Dynasty skeleton (2494–2345 BC) from Giza, Egypt (Mulhern, ). More common cases of acromegaly were described by Brauer (), Brothwell (), Hosovski (), Ortner (), and Charlier & Tsigonaki, .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“The Roman Giant”: Overgrowth Syndrome in Skeletal Remains from the Imperial Age

Minozzi

Pantano

Catalano

et al. 2013

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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A very tall skeleton was found during archaeological excavations in the territory of Fidenae, an administrative centre of the Roman territorial organization, situated along the Via Salaria about 7 km north of Rome (Italy). The individual was a young male, dated back to the Imperial Age (3 rd century AD), presenting a very tall but normally proportioned stature, estimated around 202 cm. The long bones showed incomplete epiphyseal union; therefore, the stature would probably have been taller, if he had lived longer. In this work, the metric data are compared with those from the Roman Imperial Age population, and differential diagnosis is discussed.The skeletal evidence is characteristic of a form of gigantism, a rare growth disease that may be linked to different syndromes. The most common etiology is associated with a dysfunction of the pituitary gland, which causes overproduction of the growth hormone (hGH) during childhood. This endocrine disorder stimulates cartilaginous activity at the growth plate, delaying epiphyseal fusion and resulting in increased bone length.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“The Roman Giant”: Overgrowth Syndrome in Skeletal Remains from the Imperial Age

Minozzi

Pantano

Catalano

et al. 2013

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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“…However, body size, and stature in particular, can play an important role in assessing environmental and social factors in past populations, including general health (Steegmann and Haseley, 1988;Pietrusewsky et al, 1997, Steckel andRose, 2002), sexual dimorphism (Frayer, 1980), and class differences (Bogin and Keep, 1999). Gleser's (1952, 1958) formulae, based on long bone lengths, for US Blacks, and Robins and Shute's (1986) modified equations based on the same formulae, were previously used to estimate the stature of ancient Egyptians (Masali, 1972;Robins, 1983;Robins and Shute, 1983, 1984, 1986Zakrzewski, 2003;Mulhern, 2005). However, many authors have cautioned against using stature regression formulae derived from one population for other populations (Pearson, 1899;Stevenson, 1929;Dupertuis and Hadden, 1951;.…”

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confidence: 99%

Stature estimation in ancient Egyptians: A new technique based on anatomical reconstruction of stature

Raxter

Ruff

Azab

et al. 2008

American J Phys Anthropol

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Trotter and Gleser's (Trotter and Gleser: Am J Phys Anthropol 10 (1952) 469-514; Trotter and Gleser: Am J Phys Anthropol 16 (1958) 79-123) long bone formulae for US Blacks or derivations thereof (Robins and Shute: Hum Evol 1 (1986) 313-324) have been previously used to estimate the stature of ancient Egyptians. However, limb length to stature proportions differ between human populations; consequently, the most accurate mathematical stature estimates will be obtained when the population being examined is as similar as possible in proportions to the population used to create the equations. The purpose of this study was to create new stature regression formulae based on direct reconstructions of stature in ancient Egyptians and assess their accuracy in comparison to other stature estimation methods. We also compare Egyptian body proportions to those of modern American Blacks and Whites. Living stature estimates were derived using a revised Fully anatomical method (Raxter et al.: Am J Phys Anthropol 130 (2006) 374-384). Long bone stature regression equations were then derived for each sex. Our results confirm that, although ancient Egyptians are closer in body proportion to modern American Blacks than they are to American Whites, proportions in Blacks and Egyptians are not identical. The newly generated Egyptian-based stature regression formulae have standard errors of estimate of 1.9-4.2 cm. All mean directional differences are less than 0.4% compared to anatomically estimated stature, while results using previous formulae are more variable, with mean directional biases varying between 0.2% and 1.1%, tibial and radial estimates being the most biased. There is no evidence for significant variation in proportions among temporal or social groupings; thus, the new formulae may be broadly applicable to ancient Egyptian remains.

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“…Gigantism, on the other hand, is characterized by enormous long bone growth, well beyond that of the average population, leading to obvious great stature, but with the maintenance of normal body proportions (Mulhern 2005). Secondary degenerative alterations in the joints also occur.…”

Section: Endocrine Diseases In Paleopathologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases

Kozłowski

Witas

2011

A Companion to Paleopathology

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A probable case of gigantism in a fifth Dynasty skeleton from the Western Cemetery at Giza, Egypt

Cited by 16 publications

References 29 publications

“The Roman Giant”: Overgrowth Syndrome in Skeletal Remains from the Imperial Age

“The Roman Giant”: Overgrowth Syndrome in Skeletal Remains from the Imperial Age

Stature estimation in ancient Egyptians: A new technique based on anatomical reconstruction of stature

Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases

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