A Nasca-period perinatal burial reveals cyclopia associated with trisomy 13 in southern Peru

Cyclopia, is an extremely rare congenital condition resulting from severe disruption of early brain and facial development and is typically lethal before or shortly after birth. We examined two infants buried together in a Middle Nasca-period cemetery in Jauranga, southern Peru. One infant, JA13A, exhibited a single median orbit and other skeletal features diagnostic of cyclopia, whereas JA13B showed no comparable congenital variations. Ancient DNA revealed an extra copy of chromosome 13 in JA13A, identifying trisomy 13 as the likely cause. The two maternally unrelated individuals were interred together in a ceramic vessel, a mortuary treatment well documented for Nasca children. By integrating skeletal, genomic, and archaeological evidence, this case provides a view of a severe congenital condition and its mortuary treatment in a past society.