Trepanation in the Archaeological Record

Karrah Christenson7 September 2012

Session 8

Skeletal Pathologies

• The most common pathology to affect skeletal remains is degenerative change

• The second most common pathology is trauma

• 3 types of trauma– Fracturing & dislocating bone – Disrupting blood or nerve supply to the

bone– Artificial deformation

Artificial Deformations

• Artificial deformation is a result of cultural practices

• Most artificial deformations are manifest in the cranium– These include :

• Wrapping the crania of infants

• Applying pressure to the cranium to deform the cranial vault

• And trepanation

TrepanationTrepanation is a practice in which an artificial hole is made in the cranial vault of a living person (Folkens & White 2005)

Ortner and Putschar (1981) say trepanation is perhaps the most remarkable pathology seen by the pathologist.

History of Trepanation

• Written accounts reveal that ancient Greeks practiced trepanation

• Archaeological records show that the practice goes deeper into the past appearing in Europe, the Pacific, North and South America, Africa, and Asia

• Oldest surgical procedure for which archaeological evidence has been found

Common Methodologies-scraping a patch of

bone away

-cutting a patch of bone out by making grooves through the vault

-drilling small holes around the plug of bone to be removed

Why Practice Trepanation?

• Thought to be done in order to relieve intracranial pressure being caused by injuries/ compressive fractures of the skull vault

• Relieve common headaches• Cure mental illnesses• Let out evil spirits• As a sign of social status- supernatural

powers

Success Rate? • Survival rate of those

practicing trepanation was rather high

• This is evident in the number of healed trepanations found in the archaeological record

• Sometimes bone completely regenerates

Trepanation from 5100 BC demonstrating post-operative

healing

Trepanations in Menorca?• Excavations at La Cova des Cárritx revealed a

necropolis with collective inhumations • Three examples of trepanation were found at the

site, including 1 juvenile and 2 adult individuals • Because the individuals show no other trauma/

pathologies for a necessary trepanation, its been suggested that the operations were done as part of a magic ritual- perhaps these were high status individuals with supernatural powers

• The remains from this Menorcan cave can be seen in the Ciutadella Municipal Museum

Our Current Findings at Binimel là

• During this session’s excavations at the prehistoric Talaiotic cave, a portion of frontal bone was found with evidence of trepanation

• The bone appears to show partial regeneration- meaning the individual survived for some time after the trepanation was completed

What does our find mean?• First case of

trepanation found at this site

• Reveals that the practice was occurring in prehistoric Talaiotic culture around the island

• The wound was partially healed – would have been of significant size in a prominent location

Modern Trepanation

Sources

• The Human Bone Manual. Tim D. White and Pieter A. Folkens 2005

• Arqueologia Menorca. Los tres Cráneos de la Cova des Càrrtix, tres ejemplos de trepanacion prehistorica

• Rituales de Vida y Muerte en la Prehistoria de Menorca: La Cova de Càrrtix. Vincente Lull