Oldest case of Down syndrome has been confirmed in a 1,500-year-old skeleton. The study has led to provide a new way to look on how ancient civilizations viewed those with genetic disorders.

The credit for confirming the oldest confirmed case of Down syndrome goes to French researchers, who uncovered the skeleton of a child with the genetic disorder.

Findings of the study have been reported in the International Journal of Pathology. The skeleton was buried near a church in Chalon-sur-Saone in eastern France. The researchers came across the signs of Down syndrome after observing the skeleton with a broad skull with flattened base and thinner skull bones.

Down syndrome alters the functioning of chromosomes, which leads to intellectual disability, a characteristic facial appearance, and mild to moderate cognitive delays.

The researchers did not find any evidence of the child being stigmatized by the community because of the evident genetic disorder.

The condition of the child did not lead the community to treat the child differently, said lead author Maite Rivollat. "We interpret this as meaning that the child was maybe not stigmatized during life, the first time a Down syndrome individual has been so viewed in the context of the ancient community", said Rivollat.

The researchers revealed that the child was five to seven years old and lived in medieval France some 1,500 years ago.

The skeleton of the child was originally discovered in 1989, when the archeologists were excavating the 93 skeletons from a fifth to sixth century necropolis located just south of the Abbey of Sing-Jean-des-Vignes in north eastern France. Signs of Down syndrome are intellectual disabilities, physical growth delays and some facial features, including a flat nasal bridge and almond shaped eyes that slant upwards.