Complex skull surgery 2,700 years ago

China A skull that has been intact for thousands of years shows signs of recovery after a complex surgery performed by a shaman during the late Bronze Age.

The skull of the man in Yanghai Cemetery had a surgical hole drilled in the left corner. Photo: Texas A&M University — The skull of the man in Yanghai Cemetery had a surgical hole drilled in the left corner. Photo: *Texas A&M University*

Researchers from Texas A&M University have unearthed evidence of a complex ancient brain surgery in Xinjiang, China. The intact skull shows signs of a surgical procedure that included drilling holes in the skull to treat a head wound. The researchers speculate that the person who performed the procedure 2,700 years ago was a shaman. The findings, published in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, suggest that shamans at the time could have performed brain surgery, but there is evidence that the patient survived for eight weeks after the surgery, Interesting Engineering reported on November 6.

The skull was found in the Yanghai cemetery in Xinjiang, China, where shamans were popular during the late Bronze Age. It belonged to a man aged between 30 and 35. In the study, scientists studied unusual injuries and surgical procedures on the trepanned skull of an adult man who lived during the late Bronze Age (800–750 BC).

Trepanation is performed for a variety of purposes, including treating head injuries, relieving intracranial pressure, or treating certain syndromes. The man showed signs of trepanation. Examination revealed that the patient had sustained blunt force trauma to the left side of his head. The shaman then performed brain surgery, including trepanation and creation of a bone flap to treat a hematoma (a condition in which blood has spilled outside a blood vessel and formed a clot in the surrounding tissue).

The researchers were surprised to find that the surgical site showed signs of recovery, suggesting that the patient had survived at least eight weeks after the operation. In addition, the complex surgery also helped relieve pressure on the brain, demonstrating the abilities of the ancient shaman.

An Khang (According to Interesting Engineering )

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