Trepanation is the act of drilling or scraping a hole into the human skull. It was performed with stone tools as early as 7,000 years ago, making it the earliest known surgical procedure.
Why Did They Do It?
Historians and anthropologists believe trepanation was done for:
1. Medical reasons
To relieve pressure from skull fractures or brain swelling (trauma from battles).
To treat seizures, migraines, or mental disorders (though based on ancient understanding).
Today, craniotomy (a surgical opening of the skull) is a refined version of trepanation, used to treat brain tumors, blood clots, or traumatic injuries.
Ancient trepanation was risky—without anesthesia, antiseptics, or sterile tools—but survival rates in some regions (like the Andes) reached 70–80%, which is astonishing for the time.
Has anyone here come across the word trephination in history or medicine?
MBH/AB