The first case of Down syndrome in human history

The 1,500-year-old skeleton discovered in France has signs of Down syndrome and is believed to be the earliest case of history.

Live Science said it was the skeleton of a 5-7 year old child, who lived in France during the Middle Ages, about 1,500 years ago. It was discovered during excavation in 1989 along with 93 other skeletons. The excavation area is located near a monastery in northeastern France.

The skeleton of a child shows signs of Down syndrome, discovered in France.(Photo: Live Science)

During the study, experts examined the results of three-dimensional imaging and brain structure, then compared with the skull of 78 other children of the same age. The analytical results show that this child has signs of Down syndrome that other children do not have.

In particular, the most obvious feature is the short, wide and flattened skull at the surface. It has thin skull bones and some extra bone fragments. This child also has an abnormality, which may be a sign of disorder syndrome when considered with some other characteristics.

The detection of skeletons in burial sites along with many other skeletons suggests that it may still be treated normally and not be discriminated against by others. The child is buried with face-up, head facing west and feet pointing east.

Down syndrome is described in 1866, which is one of the diseases caused by chromosomal disorders. The cause of this syndrome is the appearance of all or part of chromosome 21 copies. According to the BBC, one in every 700 newborns worldwide has Down syndrome.

In archaeological history, the earliest known case of Down syndrome was a 9-year-old child, who lived in England around 700-900 AD.