Researchers have confirmed the first known example of cleft lip and palate in an ancient Andean trophy head from southern Peru, offering unprecedented insights into how these early societies viewed individuals with congenital conditions. The discovery, detailed in a new study published in the journal Ñawpa Pacha, challenges modern assumptions about disability in the ancient world and suggests that facial differences may have elevated rather than marginalized certain individuals.
The mummified head, currently housed in a French museum collection, was traced to the Paracas region on Peru's southern coast. Through careful analysis of exhibition catalog photographs, bioarchaeologist Dr. Beth Scaffidi diagnosed a unilateral left cleft lip in what appears to be a young adult male. The individual's copper disc earrings and carefully braided hair wrapped in woven fabric indicate special treatment both in life and after death.
Sacred Marks: A Different View of Disability
According to Archaeology Magazine, the individual survived well into adulthood despite cleft lip and palate, conditions that would have created significant challenges during infancy. Feeding difficulties alone would have required specialized care and adaptation from caregivers. Yet the preserved evidence suggests this person not only survived but may have thrived in ancient Paracas society.
The trophy head displays unusual dental characteristics consistent with cleft lip diagnosis, including abnormally large and misaligned teeth, a recessed lateral incisor, and an ectopic supernumerary tooth. The cleft extends from the left upper lip into the nasal cavity, which appears asymmetrical and deviated. Rather than being closed with cactus spines in the typical Nazca fashion, the lips remain open, possibly because the cleft made standard preparation techniques impossible.
Line drawing from catalogue photos. Archival ink on paper was scanned and refined using IbisPaintX “Extract Line Drawing” and eraser tools, by Grace D. Eriksen. (B. K. Scaffidi/Ñawpa Pacha, 2025)
This represents only the sixth confirmed case of cleft lip and palate identified in human remains from the Central Andes. The rarity of skeletal evidence makes each discovery particularly valuable for understanding ancient attitudes toward congenital conditions. What makes this case especially significant is its context as a trophy head, suggesting the individual held enough importance to warrant decapitation and preservation.
Ceramic Evidence of Elevated Status
To contextualize the trophy head, researchers examined 30 ceramic vessels from ancient Peru and Ecuador depicting individuals with cleft lip features. Published in the original study, these vessels predominantly show males adorned with elite jewelry, ceremonial headwear, and decorated tunics. Many appear engaged in shamanic or priestly activities, suggesting individuals with facial clefts occupied spiritually significant roles.
Twenty of the vessels originate from the Moche culture of northern Peru, where realistic portrait pottery provides invaluable information about ancient Andean society. The depicted individuals wear turbans, helmets, necklaces, and circular earrings - including conjoined twins shown with earrings from infancy, indicating that identity and status began early for these marked individuals. Four vessels even show associations with potatoes, which some scholars interpret as symbolic connections between facial features and agricultural fertility.
Spanish colonial accounts support these artistic representations. Father Blas Valera reported that ancient Peruvians with cleft deformities often served as low-level priests. The Moche apparently believed that facial markings protected individuals from supernatural harm, making congenital marks signs of divine favor rather than disfigurement.
Ancient Peruvian ceramic depicting an individual with cleft lip. (Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe e.V./ Museo Larco)
Cultural Meanings and Trophy Taking
Trophy heads were powerful ritual objects in ancient Andean societies, collected through warfare or possibly from revered ancestors. The careful preparation involved decapitation, removal of brain matter, preservation of soft tissues, and often the threading of carrying cords through the skull. These transformed heads became living statues, imbued with spiritual power.
The fact that this cleft lip individual became a trophy head raises intriguing questions about their status. Trophy takers often targeted individuals perceived as supernaturally powerful, believing they could transform and harness that power for their own communities. The individual's copper earrings and elaborate hair treatment suggest they commanded respect and occupied an elevated social position.
Unlike Western societies that historically viewed cleft conditions as curses, many Andean cultures embraced different cosmological explanations. Traditional beliefs attributed congenital conditions to maternal experiences during pregnancy - witnessing traumatic events, lunar eclipses, or other significant occurrences. These explanations, while not scientifically accurate, share intriguing parallels with modern understanding of how maternal stress, nutrition, and environmental factors influence fetal development.
Authentic Ancient Board Games, from the Ancient Origins Store.
Implications for Understanding Ancient Care
The survival of this individual into young adulthood demonstrates sophisticated caregiving in ancient Paracas society. Infants with cleft lip and palate face immediate challenges with breastfeeding, requiring specialized feeding techniques and dedicated attention. Speech and hearing difficulties would have persisted throughout life, marking the individual as distinctly different from others.
Yet rather than abandonment or marginalization, the fate of many such individuals in ancient Greece and Rome, this person received care that enabled survival and possibly social advancement. The "bioarchaeology of care" framework helps researchers understand how ancient societies accommodated individuals with disabilities, revealing much about community values and social structures.
Modern Peru shows high prevalence of cleft conditions in coastal regions, suggesting deep genetic roots in these populations. Twentieth-century records from Ica documented numerous families with cleft features, while genetic studies confirm elevated rates along the northern coast. Environmental factors like high-altitude hypoxia during pregnancy or maternal chicha (maize beer) consumption may have exacerbated genetic predispositions, though ancient Andeans would not have understood these mechanisms.
Top image: A trophy head from the Nazca culture showing typical preparation techniques. Source: Public domain
By Gary Manners
References
Scaffidi, B. K. 2025. Celebrating Cleft Lip? Osteological and Artistic Evidence of Lip Deformity in a Trophy Head Individual from Southern Peru. Ñawpa Pacha. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00776297.2025.2565062
Radley, D., 2025. First known Andean trophy head with a cleft lip from southern Peru. Archaeology Magazine. Available at: https://archaeologymag.com/2025/12/trophy-head-with-a-cleft-lip-from-southern-peru/
