2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

American Journal of Medical Genetics 140A:303 311 (2006)

Historical Review

Dwarfs in Ancient Egypt

Chahira Kozma*
Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia
Received 3 July 2005; Accepted 10 October 2005

Ancient Egypt was one of the most advanced and productive

civilizations in antiquity, spanning 3000 years before the
Christian era. Ancient Egyptians built colossal temples and
magnificent tombs to honor their gods and religious leaders.
Their hieroglyphic language, system of organization, and
recording of events give contemporary researchers insights
into their daily activities. Based on the record left by their art,
the ancient Egyptians documented the presence of dwarfs in
almost every facet of life. Due to the hot dry climate and
natural and artificial mummification, Egypt is a major source
of information on achondroplasia in the old world. The
remains of dwarfs are abundant and include complete and
partial skeletons. Dwarfs were employed as personal
attendants, animal tenders, jewelers, and entertainers.
Several high-ranking dwarfs especially from the Old Kingdom (27002190 BCE) achieved important status and had
lavish burial places close to the pyramids. Their costly tombs
in the royal cemeteries and the inscriptions on their statutes
indicate their high-ranking position in Egyptian society and

INTRODUCTION

The ancient Egyptian civilization originated over

5,000 years ago along the Nile river in northeastern
Africa (Table I). The Nile river brought an unlimited
supply of water to the desert and the yearly flood
built a fertile valley along the riverbanks. The almost
regular and predictable pattern of yearly flooding of
the Nile river guaranteed irrigation of the fields and
adequate food production which caused the civilization to flourish [Nunn, 1996]. The writing system
using hieroglyphs was invented between 3100 and
2700 BCE, around the time when the great pyramids
were being built. This was also a time of a spectacular
development in mathematics, astronomy, transport,
government organization, and food production.
Furthermore, artists working in an array of textures
and techniques created masterpieces that have lasted
to the present.
The ancient Egyptians left an immense legacy
about their culture, religion, gods, governments
affairs, and personal and daily life through inscriptions and representations on tomb and temple walls,

their close relation to the king. Some of them were Seneb,

Pereniankh, Khnumhotpe, and Djeder. There were at least
two dwarf gods, Ptah and Bes. The god Ptah was associated
with regeneration and rejuvenation. The god Bes was a
protector of sexuality, childbirth, women, and children. He
was a favored deity particularly during the Greco-Roman
period. His temple was recently excavated in the Baharia
oasis in the middle of Egypt. The burial sites and artistic
sources provide glimpses of the positions of dwarfs in daily
life in ancient Egypt. Dwarfs were accepted in ancient Egypt;
their recorded daily activities suggest assimilation into daily
life, and their disorder was not shown as a physical handicap.
Wisdom writings and moral teachings in ancient Egypt
commanded respect for dwarfs and other individuals with
disabilities. 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Key words: disability; Egyptology; ancient Egypt; dwarfism; achondroplasia; short stature

documents on papyrus, and thousands of funerary

objects. As a result, we are well informed about the
daily life of the ancient Egyptians including that of
dwarfs (Fig. 1).
Due to the hot dry climate and elaborate burial
systems, congenital anomalies are well represented in
ancient Egypt because of their persistence in mummified and skeletal remains. These well preserved bodies
allow a study of bone and soft tissue remains. One of
the best-documented genetic disorders is achondroplasia, with Egypt being a major source of skeletal
remains for this condition in the ancient world.
In general, the sources of evidence of dwarfism in
ancient Egypt come from biological remains and
artistic evidence including funerary gifts. Written

*Correspondence to: Chahira Kozma, M.D., 2PHC, Department of

Pediatrics, Georgetown University Hospital, 3800 Reservoir Rd, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20007. E-mail: [email protected];
[email protected]
DOI 10.1002/ajmg.a.31068

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KOZMA
TABLE I. Chronology of Ancient Egypt

The Old Kingdom

The first intermediate period
The Middle Kingdom
The second intermediate
period
The New Kingdom
The late period
The Ptolemaic period

3rd8th dynasty
910th dynasty
1112th dynasty
1317th dynasty

27002190 BC
21902010 BC
21061786 BC
17861550 BC

1820th dynasty
2130 dynasty
15 Ptolemies

15501069 BC
1069332 BC
33240 BC

From 2686 until 332 BC, a series of 30 dynasties ruled Egypt, which were
organized by historians into four periods: the Old Kingdom, Middle, New, and
the Late Kingdoms. The first three periods were separated from each another
by, respectively, the first and second intermediate periods. The early dynastic
period lasted from 3000 to 2700 BC. The Greeks invaded Egypt in 332 BC under
Alexander the Great and created the Ptolemaic Dynasties that ended with the
death of Cleopatra in 30 BC and the occupation of Egypt by the Romans under
Octavian (Augustus). In 641642 AD the Arabs conquered Egypt bringing it into
the Islamic world [Strouhal, 1992].

evidence about dwarfism as a medical condition is

non-existing. The medical papyri, did not mention
dwarfism since the ancient Egyptians did not likely
consider it to be a disorder or a disease.
The hieroglyphic words for dwarfs and pygmies are
dng or deneg, nmw, and hw. A determinative or a
symbol depicting a dwarf with short limbs and a
normal trunk usually accompanies these words. While
many types of dwarfism were documented in ancient
Egypt, most skeletal remains and artistic pictures
identify short-limb dwarfism, mainly achondroplasia.
The ancient Egyptian artists developed standards for
depicting dwarfs that deviated slightly from normal
[Dasen, 1988]. They were portrayed with a small
disproportionate statue. The head was large, the torso
was relatively long, and both upper and lower limbs
were short. The legs were frequently bowed. Often,
dwarfs were illustrated with lordosis and protuberant
abdomen. Dwarfs in Ancient Egypt and Greece
provides the reader with a comprehensive review of
this subject [Dasen, 1993].
The pharaohs and nobles of ancient Egypt delighted
to have in their households pygmies and dwarfs. An
important early written record that highlights the
value placed on dwarfs in ancient Egypt was by
Harkhuf. He was an army general and a high official
during the time of kings Merenre1 and Pepi II2 and was
a governor of Aswan in Upper Egypt. He conducted
several expeditions to Africa and especially to the land
of Punt or Akhtiu, thought to be near present-day
Somalia and Eritrea. He inscribed on his tomb in
Asswan an extraordinary letter he received from King
Pepi II congratulating him about the precious
treasures he brought to Egypt from Africa and
especially about a pygmy who could do exotic dances
and delight the heart of the king [Dawson, 1938]. The
short man was called a dng of the gods dances. An
abbreviation of the letter of the child king, who was
then about 8 years old follows:
Come northward to the Residence immediately.
Leave (everything) and bring this pygmy with thee,
which thou hast brought living, prosperous, and
healthy from the land of Akthiu, for the dances of
the god, to rejoice and gladden the heart of the king
for Upper and Lower3 Egypt Neferkere4, may he live
for ever. When he (the pygmy) goes down with thee
to the vessel, appoint trustee people, who shall be
about him on each side of the vessel; take care lest he
fall into the water. If thou arrives of the Residence,
this pygmy being with thee alive. My Majesty will do
for thee a greater thing than that which was done

FIG. 1. A painted statue of limestone of the God Bes, the god of love,
childbirth, and sexuality in ancient Egypt, 30th dynasty reign of Nectanebo II
(358341 BC). Height 92 cm. Bes is portrayed with hybrid features and sticking
out his tongue. He wears a monkey skin on his back. The deeply set eyes
suggest that they may have held inlays, as did the tongue. The ears are those of a
lion. A serpents body, knotted around his navel serves as a belt. The Louvre
Museum, Paris.

1
King Merenre or Nemtiemsaf I was the fourth king of the sixth dynasty
(22872278 BCE).
2
Pepi II was the last ruler of the sixth dynasty (22462152 BCE).
3
Egypt is a country made up of two separate land areas: Upper Egypt
and Lower Egypt. The names refer to ones location according to the flow
of the Nile River. Lower Egypt is land downstream, or to the north and
Upper Egypt is land upstream, or to the south.
4
King Neferkere is Pepi II.

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DWARFS IN ANCIENT EGYPT

305

for the treasurer of the Gods seal-bearer Werdjededba in the time of Isesi5 in accordance with the
hearts desire of my Majesty to see this pygmy.

SOURCES OF EVIDENCE FOR DWARFISM

Biological Remains

Although artistic evidence for dwarfism is abundant in ancient Egypt, it could be subject to biased
interpretation; thus skeletal remains provide the
most objective and informative evidence of this
genetic disorder.
The earliest biological evidence for dwarfism in
ancient Egypt dates to a Predynastic Period called the
the Badarian Period (4500 BCE). The specimen, an
almost complete skeleton, was studied thoroughly
when it was located in the Museum of the Royal
College of Surgeons in England. The skull is normal
except for a slight flattening of the angle of the base
of the skull. The mandible is normal. The clavicles are
slender but normal in length. The radii and ulnae are
remarkably small and symmetrical with the radial
tuberosity and ligamentous prominences of the radii
unusually pronounced. The head of the humerus is
malformed and lacks the usual even contour. The
small bones of the hands, the ribs, and the scapulae
are essentially normal. The glenoid articular surfaces
show the changes seen already in the humeral heads
and in addition to attrition secondary to arthritis. The
author concluded that these skeletal changes are not
an example of achondroplasia, as we know it [Jones,
1932]. The current location of the specimen is
unknown.
The skeleton of an adult male in a tomb of the first
dynasty located in Saqqara6 in the tomb complex of
King Wadj7 had changes of the long bones initially
interpreted to be secondary to rickets (Fig. 2). The
tibiae were very short and the fibulae bowed. The
specimen is located at Cairo University, Egypt
[Emery, 1954]. To other Egyptologists and scientists,
the changes were attributed to short limb dwarfism,
most likely that of achondroplasia due to the
shortened long bones [Weeks, 1970].
Other biological evidence includes the remains of
two dwarfs from the fourth dynasty Egyptian tomb of
King Mersekha8 in the Natural History Museum in
London (BMNH AF.11.4/427). Those remains have
previously been examined and published. They
consist of calvaria, facial bones, lower jaw, and long
bones. The skull vault is of normal size. However, the
5
King Isesi, also known as Djedkare, was the eighth ruler of the fifth
dynasty (24142375 BCE).
6
Saqqara is an immense ancient necropolis south of Cairo.
7
King Wadj also called Wadjit, or Uadji believed to be the 3rd king of
the first dynasty.
8
King Semerkhet or Mersekha ruled ancient Egypt from 3080 to 3072
BCE.

FIG. 2. Skeleton of a male adult dwarf. Courtesy of the Egypt Exploration

Society, London. When unearthed, the tomb was unplundered and contained
four different types of jars.

skull base is shortened as evidenced by the very short

basi occipital diameter. The shortened skull base
contirubutes to the appearance of a depression in
the middle third of the face. The nasal bones and the
frontal processes of the maxilla are broad and the
short face is accentuated by the prognathism of
the alveolar portion of the maxilla. The secondary
teeth and the fused epiphyses and apophyses
implicate young adulthood. The long bones, which
consist of a left humerus, right femur, three tibiae,
and two fibula are very short. The tibiae have slight
medial bowing of the distal half. The humerus is short
with the abnormal joint pathology associated with
achondroplasia (Fig. 3). The bones have relatively
normal diameter of the shafts and epiphyses
[Putschar and Ortner, 1985].
Examination of the skeleton of the dwarf Perniankhu whose statue is described later under the section
of artistic evidence, revealed that he was almost
40 years of age when he died. The facial part of his
skull is missing but the rest of his skeleton shows
the characteristics traits of achondroplasia: short and
squat upper and lower limbs. Furthermore, the
measurements of the foreshortened arms and legs
of the skeleton seem to match these of his statue and

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ARTISITC EVIDENCE

The pictorial sources of dwarfs in ancient Egypt

especially during the Old Kingdom are quite
abundant and include tomb and vase paintings,
statues, and minor arts. A funerary gift depicting a
female dwarf was found in the tomb of King
Tutankhamun9. It is on display at Cairo Museum,
Egypt. The female dwarf is naked with two bracelets
and armlets and wears a wig of short curly hair. She
has the typical facial features and bodily characteristics of achondroplasia. In addition, she has bowed
legs and clubfeet deformity.
Artistic evidence indicates that dwarfs were
employed as personal attendants, overseers of linen,
animal tenders, jewelers, dancers, and entertainers.
There was a significant value placed on dwarfs in
ancient Egypt [Ghalioungui and El Dawakhly, 1965].
There were several elite dwarfs from the Old
Kingdom who achieved important status and had a
lavish burial place in the royal cemetery close to the
pyramids. Their names and titles were inscribed on
their funerary statues or reliefs. They were Seneb,
Pereniankh, Khnumhotpe, and Djeder.
ELITE DWARFS
Dwarf Seneb and his Family

FIG. 3. Specimen BMNH AF.11.41427 representing the long bones of 2

dwarfs. Courtesy of the Natural History Museum, London.

it may be well that there was a realistic attempt to

model Perniankhus skeletal disorder. Additional
studies in Egypt suggest that there was a burial area
near the great Pyramids for high-ranking Old Kingdom dwarfs. A skeleton of a female dwarf revealed
the cause of her death since she was found with a
babys remains in situ. She most likely needed a
Cesarean section for a safe delivery. However, such
surgical capability was not available at that time
and she died before the child was delivered [Filer,
1995].

The statue of Seneb and his family was found in his

tomb, which was excavated between the years 1925
and 1926 in the Giza10 necropolis near the Pyramids.
The dwarf Seneb served during the fourth dynasty of
pharaohs Khufu11 and Djeder12. Seneb statue is on
display at Cairo Museum. It represents an excellent
portrait of ancient Egyptian art depicting a family
group with a great sense of harmony and balance.
Seneb, the father, was most likely an achondroplastic
dwarf. His wife and children are of average size.
Seneb is seated in the position of a scribe next to his
wife on a rectangular seat. His head is carefully
placed at the same level as that of his wife. He has
short hair, large eyes, and a pronounced nose and
mouth. He wears a short white kilt and his skin is
painted an ochre tone. His upper and lower
extremities show the typical proximal shortening
characteristic of achondroplasia (Fig. 4). His mild
facial features however can be suggestive of hypochondroplasia. Ancient Egyptian artists frequently
depicted achondroplastic dwarfs with normal facies
most likely due to conventional reasons. However,
9
King Tutankhamun was the 12th ruler of the 18th dynasty (13361327
BCE).
10
The Giza Plateau is located on the west bank of the Nile opposite
Cairo, the capital of Egypt. It contains the pyramids and the sphinx as
well as numerous temples and tombs.
11
King Khufu was the 2nd king of the fourth dynasty. He built the Great
Pyramid at Giza (26092584 BCE).
12
King Djeder or Redjedef was the son of Khufu and the 3rd ruler of the
fourth dynasty. (2575c. 2465 BCE).

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307

FIG. 4. Statuary group of the dwarf Seneb and his family. Cairo Museum.
Cairo, Egypt.

since his skeleton was never found, an accurate

diagnosis cannot be made. Underneath Seneb are
two of their three children, a boy and a girl, both of
them are holding their fingers to their mouths, as was
normally used to represent children in ancient Egypt.
The ancient Egyptian artist who crafted Senebstatue
was very skillful and sensitive. He made a balance
and symmetry of the group by placing the two
children where Senebs legs would have been
[Tiradritti, 1999].
Dwarf Pereniankh or Per-ni-ankh-w
the Dancing Dwarf

The tomb of Pereniankh, which dates to the Old

Kingdom was discovered in the late 1980s. It was
located in the vicinity of the great Pyramids.
Pereniankh was a court official in the fifth or sixth
dynasty. The tomb contained the skeleton of
Pereniankh, his statue, skeletons of two women
including that of his wife, and earthenwares.
Pereniankh is shown seated on a chair and wears a
short kilt. His neck is short and thick. His round oval
face is reminiscent of third or fourth dynasty
sculpture. While his facial characteristics are normal,
his limbs and especially his legs are short and
consistent with the diagnosis of achondroplasia,
which was confirmed by examination of his skeleton.
His legs are different in size possibly due to
elephantiasis or other medical conditions. Both sides
of his chair are inscribed with his name and titles, the
dancing dwarf in the Great Palace, the one who
pleased his majesty everyday, Per-ni-ankh-w.
Because the tomb was located near the tomb of the
dwarf Seneb and of other characteristics, Egyptologists have suggested that Pereniankh was the father

FIG. 5. The dwarf Djeho.

of Seneb [Hawass, 2004]. The statue is on display at

Cairo Museum, Egypt.
Dwarf Djeho

The profile figure of the dwarf Djeho depicts the

owner at life-size measuring 120 cm. His naked figure
is carved on the lid of his sarcophagus, which is made
out of granite and is of superb workmanship. It is on
display at Cairo Museum, Egypt. The sarcophagus
dates to the late period during the time of King
Nectanebo II13. The figure shows an accurate
depiction of the features of achondroplasia. The
dwarf Djeho has a prominent forehead, depressed
nasal bridge, and an enlarged anteriorposterior
diameter of his skull. His hands are short and reach to
13
King Nectanebo II, was the last ruler of the 30th dynasty (he reigned
between 360343 BCE).

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the hips and both upper and lower limbs reveal

proximal shortening. The back shows some degree
of kyphosis, the abdomen is protruded, and he has
male genitalia (Fig. 5). Hieroglyphic inscriptions on
the lid indicate that he belonged to the household of
a high official [Baines, 1992].
Dwarf Khnumhotep

The dwarf Khnumhotep dates back to the Old

Kingdom. His name was found on his statue. He
achieved courtly status, held the title Overseer of
Clothing, and ka-priest14. His titles suggest that he
belonged to the household of a high official. His
small figurine, which measures 18 inches and is made
out of painted limestone, is on display at Cairo
museum, Egypt. It was found in Saqqara and is one of
most famous of Old Kingdom sculptures. The dwarf
Khnumhotep has large cranial vault and elongated
skull, however his facial features are normal. He has
shortening of the proximal parts of his upper limbs.
He wears a kilt that slopes at his waist and reaches
below his knees. His lower limbs are especially short.
His back is arched, his abdomen is protruded, and he
has a stocky torso [Sampsell, 2001].
DWARF GODS

There were several anonymous dwarf gods in

ancient Egypt. The dwarf gods, Ptah and Bes were
the best known and were involved in magical
practices to protect the living and the dead.
God Ptah (Pataikos)

According to ancient Egyptian belief, Ptah was the

god who molded people out of clay and gave them
the breath of life, which relates to the original
creation of man. Herodotus15, the famous Greek
historian, called this god Pataikos, due to its similarity
to the Phoenician god of the same name. The term
Pataikos is derived from the ancient Egyptian world
ptah, which means to open [Aterman, 1999]. The
god Ptah was associated with regeneration and
rejuvenation. Ptah was worshiped as the creator of
the universe. In addition, he gave life to the other
gods by means of his heart and his tongue. His nature
as a supreme artisan was emphasized and he was
seen as the patron god of craftsmen. He was
especially revered at Deir el-Medina, the village
where the craftsmen who built the tombs in the
Valley of the Kings16 lived. He is usually depicted
as bearded man wearing a skullcap, shrouded like
a mummy, and his hands emerging from the
wrappings in the front.
14

The ka was the life force in ancient Egypt.

Herodotus was an ancient historian who lived in the 5th century BC
(484425 BC).
16
The Valley of the Kings in Upper Egypt contains many of the tombs
of pharaohs from the New Kingdom.
15

FIG. 6. The god Ptah. Courtesy of the Walters Museum, Baltimore, Maryland.

The god Ptah, who is occasionally represented as an

achondroplastic dwarf, is quite distinct from the god
Bes. In his dwarf form, he is portrayed as a naked
human and mostly depicted in amuletic forms
especially at the end of the New Kingdom. He has
short limbs, long trunk, and a large head and does not
carry weapons. He has numerous representations in
amulets (Fig. 6). In this picture, he is depicted standing
with his arms hanging down to the sides, with closed
fists. He has a side lock symbolic of youth on the right
side of the head giving him a youthful appearance.
God Bes

The origin of the cult of Bes continues to be

debated among Egyptologists. Some have suggested
that he was an imported deity from Nubia or Africa
from the south of Egypt due to his emphasized
features that include full lips, broad flat nose, and
feathered head dress. However, most theories about
the god Bes being a foreign deity imported have been
disregarded and the image of Bes is considered pure
Egyptian. His iconography is very abundant and
occurs in a wide range of objects and media
including sandstones, wood, and glazed faience.
Frequently, the god Bes is shown in a hybrid nature
combining animal and human features, large skull,

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DWARFS IN ANCIENT EGYPT

rhizomelic shortening of the upper and lower limbs,

a lion mane emphasizing his ferocious attitude, and a
tail. Often he wears a monkey skin on his back.
His main function was a repeller of evil. In the Old
Kingdom, he was depicted in association with fertility,
circumcision, and harvest rituals. In the Middle
Kingdoms, his role evolves into becoming a guardian
of the home; infants, new mothers, and he often
assisted Taweret, the Hippopotamus goddess of
pregnancy in protecting women during childbirth
[Hawass, 2000]. Indeed, the most important role
assigned to Bes was the protection of the mother
and child during the dangerous time of childbirth. A
spell to help with birth complications could be recited
four times over a clay figure of the god Bes that had
been placed on the head of the woman in labor. The
god Bes was often depicted holding drums or
tambourines and making noises to drive away
demons (Fig. 7).
The god Bes was particularly associated with
bringing prosperity and protection of the home. His
figures were placed inside houses, painted on walls,
and incorporated into furniture such as beds and
chairs [Hecht, 1990]. During the Greco-Roman
periods, Bes was shown with a fierce look, brandishing knifes and swords, indicating that his role as a

FIG. 7. Wooden figure of the god Bes playing a tambourine from Thebes,
Egypt 18th dynasty, around 1300 BC. EA 20865. Courtesy of the British Museum,
London.

309

FIG. 8. Dwarfs jewelers. Tomb of Mereruka. Saqqara, Egypt. Courtesy of the

Oriental Institute. Chicago, USA.

protector extended to warfare against evils. The god

Bes was a favored deity during the Greco-Roman
period and his temple was recently excavated in the
Baharia oasis in the middle of Egypt. The temple
yielded a large statue of the god Bes measuring 4 feet
and is currently on display at Cairo Museum, Egypt.
ORDINARY DWARFS

Dwarfs were depicted in at least 50 tombs in

funerary art of the Old Kingdom both at the vast
necropolises of Giza and Saqqara. Consequently, it is
possible to draw a conclusion about their societal role
at that period. The repetition of certain pictures in
tombs shows that dwarfs specialized in certain
occupations including jewelry makers, animal or pet
handlers, fishermen, keeper of the wardrobe, entertainers and dancers, supervisor of clothing and linen,
and personal attendants [Hamada and Rida, 1972].
Female dwarfs served as nurses for young children
and worked as mid wives assisting in delivery.
In several tombs from Old Kingdom, group of male
dwarfs are shown making necklaces. In a superb
scene from the tomb of Mereruka, dwarfs were
depicted making jewelry among other average-size
workers (Fig. 8). The tomb of Mereruka is the largest in
Saqqara and document many aspects of life in ancient
Egypt. Mereruka was a vizier or a minister to king
Teti17 and he was also married to his daughter. The
scene of dwarfs from the tomb of Mereruka is divided
into three parts. In the upper third, a variety of events
are taking places by sculptors, vase makers, carpenters, and metal workers. In the middle third, there are
complete masterpieces of jewelry. In the lowest
registry, similar articles are being completed. Two
average height workers hold up a completed collar
with falcon-headed terminals and an outermost row
of pendants. Next to them are two dwarf workers,
displaying a choker, which is supported by a high
table. Beyond them two more dwarfs sit putting the
finishing touches to a keyhole-shaped pectoral
[Andrews, 1997].
On many tomb walls from Old Kingdom, dwarfs
look after household pets, especially dogs, and
monkeys. This role appears to be restricted to male
dwarfs who frequently tamed monkeys. In a relief
17

King Teti was the First king of the Sixth dynasty.

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KOZMA

FIG. 11. Female dwarf dancer. Courtesy of Kunsthistorisches Museum,

gyptisch-Orientalische Sammlung, Vienna, A 8028.
A

CONCLUSION
FIG. 9. Dwarf tending a monkey. Relief from the tomb of Nefer, Giza, Egypt.
Old Kingdom, 2180 BC (Pelizaeus-Museum inv. no. 2390). Roemer- und
Pelizaeus-Museum, Hildesheim.

from the Old Kingdom tomb of Nefer in Giza that

dates back to the sixth dynasty (2180 BC), a dwarf is
holding a monkey on his head, both standing en
miniature under the chair of the tomb owner (Fig. 9).
Several reliefs from the Old Kingdom tombs depict
male and females dwarf entertainers, dancing, singing, or playing music. A limestone figurine from the
tomb of Nikainpu at Giza depicts a sitting dwarf
playing the harp (Fig. 10). The facial features and
short limbs of the dwarf musician are characteristic of
achondroplasia. In the tomb of the high official
Nuntjer in Giza, a small woman, most likely a female
dwarf is in the middle of two group of average height
woman performing a lively dance [Arnold, 1999]. She
wears a wreath of flowers on her head and wears a
belt with strips. The average-size dancers wear
crossed short kilts with shoulders straps (Fig. 11).
Cairo Museum has amuletic figures depicting naked
ethnic pygmies dancing. These figurines date back to
the 12th dynasty. The little figures had holes and
were connected to strings which, when pulled,
would make the dancers move.

FIG. 10. Dwarf playing the harp. Courtesy of the Oriental Institute. Chicago,
USA.

Several Egyptologists and researchers have concluded that the image of short people in ancient
Egypt is essentially positive [Sullivan, 2001]. Achondroplastic dwarfs had magical significance and they
were associated with the sun god. Numerous
figurines and amulets were formed in their shape.
The function of the dwarfs was for the protection of
the living and the dead from dangers facing them
including diseases, venomous animals, snakes,
crocodiles, and other dangers. In several New
Kingdom papyri, they are described as rising up to
the sky and going down to the underworld. In
incantation three against the snakes in the Magical
and Medical Papyri of the New Kingdom, the name of
dwarf is invoked for protection from the snakes: O,
dwarf! My magical powers are against my enemies.
To render the influence of the poison of the snakes
harmless. May they be free from intrusion for ever. In
the same papyrus the dwarf god is invoked to stand
by the speaker: O that dwarf of the sky, O that dwarf
of the sky. O dwarf great of face, with high back and
short thighs. O great pillars, extending from the sky to
the underworld. O Lord of the great corps which rests
in Heliopolis. O great living lord [Leitz, 1999].
Women in childbirth also invoked the help of dwarf
gods. In a magical papyrus at Leiden, there is a spell
to facilitate birth, called the spell of the dwarf: O
good dwarf, come, because of the one who sent
you...come down placenta, come down placenta,
come down! The prayer was to be spoken four times
over a dwarf of clay placed upon the vertex of the
woman who is giving birth. In the spell of the Vulva
the woman in pain shouts: To the man for a dwarfstatute of clay [Borghouts, 1971].
Another indication of the positive attitude toward
dwarfs in ancient Egypt is revealed in moral and
wisdom teachings. Ancient Egyptians had a strict
code of ethics as expressed by the New Kingdom
Instructions of Amenemope who lived during the
reign of Amenhotep III18. The instructions of
18
Amenhotep III was the Ninth King of Egypts 18th dynasty (1391
1354 BCE).

American Journal of Medical Genetics: DOI 10.1002/ajmg.a

DWARFS IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Amenemope commanded respect for dwarfs and

other individuals with handicapping conditions:
Do not jeer at a blind man nor tease a dwarf
Neither interfere with the condition of a cripple;
Do not taunt a man who is in the hand of God,
Nor scowl at him if he errs.
Additional instructions of Amenemope give positive images of attitudes toward human limits. It also
teaches that care for the old, sick, and malformed is a
moral duty, because Man is clay and straw, the God
is his builder. The Wise Man should respect people
affected by reversal of fortune [Simpson, 1973].
In summary, the artistic sources provide a rich
legacy and documentations of the positions of
dwarfs in daily life in ancient Egypt especially in
the Old Kingdom Period. Dwarfs were likely
accepted in ancient Egypt and were given a visible
role in the society. Furthermore their daily activities
suggest integration in daily life and that their disorder
was not shown as a physical handicap.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I thank my husband, Samir Gabriel, DDS, for taking

several of the pictures in the article.
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