Many years ago, the humanity has been trying to find ways to cure disease and treat injuries. One of these ways is surgery, a practice present in several historical periods.
Archaeologists recently made a fascinating discovery: two skulls that underwent surgery thousands of years ago. Now, follow more details of the discovery and learn more about the operated skulls.
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The skulls are from different historical periods.
The first skull is a remnant from the medieval period and was found in the Lombard Necropolis of Castel Trosino, Italy. The second, in turn, is older, dated at around 3500 years and was in Tel Megiddo, Israel.
- the medieval skull
The medieval skull has caused much surprise among archaeologists due to the fact that it underwent surgery known as trepanation. In it, archaeologists found a circular opening of about 2 centimeters in diameter, which evidenced the procedure of this type of surgery.
This surgical technique works with skull perforation in order to treat brain injuries, epilepsy and even intracranial pressure relief.
Furthermore, research teams point out that the person who underwent cranial surgery probably had good financial conditions, belonging to a noble class at the time. Therefore, it was possible to perform surgery as a way to combat diseases.
- The 3500 year old skull
As with the medieval skull, it was possible to note that the second one also underwent the trepanning process, as well as that the patient was in good condition. Including, its period refers to the end of the Bronze Age, which lasted from 3300 a. W. up to 1200 a. W.
In the skull, the archaeologists they found a semicircular incision on its frontal part. This indicates that the patient had a piece of his skull removed so that his injuries could be treated.
Because the process is a bit more risky, the researchers say it was a last resort for relieving the patient's pain. Even so, the procedure was performed while the patient was alive, but, by all indications, he ended up dying in a short time.
