A grave from the Bronze Age was uncovered at an archaeological site in Meggido, Israel. The discovery has offered researchers a rare example of a prehistoric cranial operation. Science Alert reports that this may have been the first surgery of its kind in the Middle East.
Earliest Brain Surgery
A pair of tombs were discovered in 2016 at the domestic portion of an Israeli palace. Through this, archaeologists were able to unearth two different sets of remains that were buried with each other almost 3,500 years ago.
Prior DNA analysis showed that these two individuals had a familial association with each other. Other than this, development and size clues suggested that one of the men died as a young adult while the other may have been around 30 years old when he passed away.
Gizmodo reports that an archaeologist team has now examined these remains. Their findings were published in the PLOS One publication.
The team found out that they may have struggled with chronic and infectious conditions since they were children. The remains reportedly exhibited signs of lesions, inflammation, and porosity. All of these suggest that the person may have had a chronic condition, such as leprosy or tuberculosis. What was most interesting, however, was that the skull of the older brother was cut open back when the man still lived. This was a case of trepanation, which involves abrading or cutting a living patient's bone to uncover the brain.
Lead author and archaeologist Rachel Kalisher from Brown University says that for one to have a hole cut in the head, the person must be in quite a dire position.
Science Alert notes that the reason why this procedure is common is not quite clear. Speculations propose that these could be completely superstitious, while others suggest that the procedure could relieve the pressure buildup.
In the man's case, the surgery was evidently unsuccessful, regardless of what its purpose was. Science Alert reports that the criss-cross cut marks at the edge of the square hole and into the front exhibited no signs that they had healed. This suggests that the man died while or shortly after his skull was opened.
On top of this, an additional line within the skull, where plates get into contact, was found in the older brother. He also had an extra molar. This indicated a rare genetic illness called cleidocranial dysplasia.
Making things worse was that each bone set exhibited scars of an infectious condition, which may have been leprosy or tuberculosis.
Prehistoric Trepanation
Kalisher says that there has been evidence that the practice of trepanation, or trephination, was quite widespread for thousands of years. These procedures are quite diverse. Examples include drilled circle holes, excised square hatches, and abraded cavities.
However, there are only a few examples of trepanation within the Middle East. Science Alert also reports that there were none documented from an earlier date compared to these skeletons from multiple millennia ago. These findings shed light on a bigger picture of why and how prehistoric cultures encouraged and went through such risky surgical procedures.
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