Facial approximation of a skull with signs of tertiary syphilis found in the Skriðuklaustur monastery (Iceland, 15th-16th century AD)

Abstract

Syphilis is an infectious disease transmitted by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, caused major problems for the old continent after the European discovery of the Americas in 1492 and its export to Europe, although treponemal diseases have accompanied human history since the Middle Pleistocene. The present work presents the facial approximation of a 15th-16th century AD Icelandic female individual with tertiary syphilis, with lesions that reached the bones, causing significant destruction on the surface of the soft tissues. The objective is to address the history of the disease and the potential harm caused by its non-treatment by offering a facial approximation of an ancient severe tertiary-syphilis patient.