RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This paper presents a possible case of Facio-Auriculo-Vertebral sequence (FAVs) in an adult female from Haffjarðarey, Western Iceland (1200-1563 CE) and a brief review of associated terminology. MATERIALS: The skeletal remains of a single adult female (HFE-A-34, 18-24 years old), excavated in 1945 by the National Museum of Iceland. METHODS: We carried out macroscopic examination of the cranium and mandible in 2017. RESULTS: Right side unilateral asymmetric craniofacial dysplasia was identified on the cranium and mandible of HFE-A-34. CONCLUSIONS: This individual presents with anomalous craniofacial asymmetry consistent with a clinical diagnosis of FAVs. SIGNIFICANCE: This paper offers a visually distinct case of an under-represented and under-documented congenital condition for future identification within paleopathology. LIMITATIONS: Infra-cranial skeletal manifestations of FAVs would strengthen this possible diagnosis, but at this time it is not possible to definitively link the cranium and mandible of HFE-A-34 to any of the infra-cranial remains excavated from Haffjarðarey. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: In addition to further clarifying the variable nature of FAVs in archaeological remains, a detailed discussion of disability and the perception of disabled individuals within the medieval North Atlantic is necessary in order to understand the lived experiences of affected individuals.
