ancient skull that underwent surgery found

SALONIKA, Greece (AFP) - Archaeologists have unearthed the skull of a young woman in northern Greece who is believed to have undergone head surgery in the third century, Greek news media reported Wednesday.

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A Greek team discovered the skeleton at an ancient cemetery in Veria, with the skull including an injury that led them to conclude the surgery had been performed.

"We think that there was a complex surgical intervention that only an experienced doctor could have performed," said Ioannis Graikos, the head of the archaeological dig.

"Medical treatment on the human body in the Roman Veria is part of a long tradition that began with Hippocrates up to Roman doctor Celsus and Galen," he said, cited in the Ta Nea newspaper.

Hippocrates is believed to have lived in the fifth century BC, Celsus between 25 BC to 50 AD, and Galen from 131 to 201.

The procedure believed to have been carried out was a trepanation, an ancient form of surgery to address head injuries or illnesses.

In 2003, Greek archaeologists discovered a man's skull in a tomb on the Aegean island of Chios from the second century BC that had also undergone a trepanation.

The patient was believed to have lived a number of years after the operation.

Another trepanation was discovered in 2006 in Thrace on a young woman from the eighth century BC believed injured by a weapon.

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[edit on 13-3-2008 by Jbird]

The fact that the procedure has a name and is described as ancient doesn't really make me think this is a new or exciting find worthy of a whole new topic.

Also when you look up trepanation it is basically drilling a hole in someones head, i fail to see how this is a skilled operation, especially in the timescale offered.

In modern times there may have been more skill involved; but to drill a hole in a head in any year that is BC just seems to be more like a desperate attempt to let evil spirits escape rather than a professional medical procedure

reply to post by owzitgarn


FAIR ENOUGH I JUST THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A INTERESTING ARTICLE THAT COULD POSSIBLY SHOW THAT ANCIENT DOCTORS MAY HAVE BEEN MORE ADVANCED THAN WE BELIEVED THEM TO BE ALSO JUST THAUGHT ID SHARE THE READ


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[edit on 13-3-2008 by Jbird]

Trephining or trepanning was even performed by neanderthals over 100,000 years ago. As Owz said, boring a hole in someone's skull is nothing spectacular, but the fact that they typically lived for many years after the procedure is pretty amazing!

You have to keep in mind this was prior to the advent of aseptic surgical conditions, anesthetics or antibiotics. Whether they suffered brain damage from the operation is another matter.

I have also read recently of an arm amputation from the paleolithic period with the patient living for a number of years after the amputation.
I'm sorry but i cant remember the source at the moment but will try to find it. It was an interesting read on ancient surgical procedures.

Nice post anyway, might help if you checked out the rules concerning quoting, external sources and all caps typing.

If its a topic you find interesting then post away, i found it interesting also.

mojo.

Originally posted by owzitgarn
...but to drill a hole in a head in any year that is BC just seems to be more like a desperate attempt to let evil spirits escape rather than a professional medical procedure

Originally posted by LLoyd45
.As Owz said, boring a hole in someone's skull is nothing spectacular...

I think you two have hastily disregarded the archaeological finding and concluded what exactly was performed without knowing the facts fully. Lets not disregard this finding outright till more details arrive.

To pull a quote from the article in question:

"We think that there was a complex surgical intervention that only an experienced doctor could have performed," said Ioannis Graikos, the head of the archaeological dig.

I am sure that these archaeologists are aware of the practice of trepanation (unless you think they are less informed than the average keyboard jocky that can flip to the History Channel) and this sounds possibly a bit more involved than a simple hole in the head.

Even if it were the practice itself was nevertheless a tricky one.

Nice find.

Nice find.

As mentioned, although not interesting to all.. interesting to some.

I had heard the 'letting out of evil spirits' before, but I think this case, as the others mentioned in the artical are of a different variety.

With the ones that lived after the operation/procedure... I have to wonder why more aren't discovered who died while being operated on.

Less than hundred years ago, lobotamys were performed in a cruder fashion with a spike to the brain,through the eye socket.

Medical advancements have come a long way.