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13-Jan-2026
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Arch Hellen Med, 43(2), March-April 2026, 263-267 SPECIAL ARTICLE Larsen syndrome afflicted hands on an ancient anatomical relief from the Archaeological Museum of Paros? T. Alušík |
An iconographic palaeopathological analysis of a votive anatomical relief, is presented coming probably from the site of Asklepieion on the island of Paros (Cyclades, Greece), dated presumably to the Hellenistic period (c. 323–31 BC). The artifact is currently housed in the Archaeological Museum in Parikia (inv. no 188). It is a marble slab depicting both hands. Although the state of preservation of this relief is, unfortunately, not good, some details of the hands, like the segmentation of some fingers into phalangi, were lightly indicated. However, the fingers of both hands clearly show specific deformations and particular health conditions which can, with a high level of probability, be identified. A possible condition that can explain most or even all symptoms could be Larsen syndrome, which is a rare genetic disorder.
Key words: Ancient Greece, Archaeology, Palaeopathology, Paros, Votive anatomical relief.
