CRANIOTOMY AS A PREHISTORIC MEDICAL PRACTICE: A CASE OF ANTEMORTEM CRANIAL TREPANATION IN SOUTHERN SIBERIA IN THE LATE BRONZE AGE
Abstract
Complete trepanation with the removal of the inner bone plate was studied on a cranium of a male aged ca 35 from a Late Bronze Age burial at Anzhevka in the Krasnoyarsk-Kansk forest-steppe, dating to 1000–700 BC. Certain burials including that with a trephined cranium reveal traces of post-funerary rituals. The individual displays the Paleosiberian (Baikal) combination of craniometric and dental characteristics. Results of the macroand microscopic analysis of the affected area, along with multislice computed tomography (MSCT), suggest that the trepanation was performed to treat osteomyelitis of the parietal bone with an epidural abscess (empyema), caused by an open depressed fracture of the left parietal bone, infl icted with a tool having a small contact area. In modern forensic practice, such perforations are attributed to hammer blows. This would explain the absence of linear fractures of the parietal bone around the trepanation zone. Craniotomy with the removal of the osteomyelitiс focus and the emptying of the epidural abscess led to a prolonged preservation of the patient’s life. Results of a traceological analysis suggest that the aperture was made by scraping, and a thin tetrahedral tool was used to remove the bone fragment. Possibly the use of bronze instruments, known to have antiseptic properties, helped the ancient healer to cope with an advanced infectious process.
About the Authors
T. A. Chikisheva
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090
A. L. Krivoshapkin
Novosibirsk State Medical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Krasny pr. 52, Novosibirsk, 630091
D. V. Pozdnyakov
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090
P. V. Volkov
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences;
Novosibirsk State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Pirogova 1, Novosibirsk, 630090
References
1. Бондаренко А.В. Постпогребальные практики населения лесостепного Обь-Иртышья в эпоху бронзы: автореф. дис. … канд. ист. наук. – М., 2016. – 33 с.
2. Гойхман В.А. О трепанации черепа в эпоху мезолита // Вопр. антропологии. – 1966. – Вып. 23. – С. 111–118.
3. Зубов А.А. Методическое пособие по антропологическому анализу одонтологических материалов. – М.: Изд-во ИЭА РАН, 2006. – 71 с.
4. Макаров Н.П. Красноярско-Канская лесостепь в диалоге культур неолита и бронзового века Западной и Восточной Сибири // Вестн. Том. гос. ун-та. – 2016. – № 4. – С. 94–97.
5. Матющенко В.И. Древняя история населения лесного и лесостепного Приобья (неолит и бронзовый век). – Томск: Изд-во Том. гос. ун-та, 1974. – Ч. 4: Еловско-ирменская культура. – 196 с. – (Из истории Сибири, вып. 12).
6. Медникова М.Б. Трепанации у древних народов Евразии. – М.: Науч. мир, 2001. – 314 с.
7. Медникова М.Б. Ритуальное посвящение у древних народов Евразии по данным антропологии // Археология, этнография и антропология Евразии. – 2003. – № 1. – С. 47–156.
8. Медникова М.Б. Трепанации в древнем мире и культ головы. – М.: Алетейя, 2004. – 208 с.
9. Рыкушина Г.В. Палеоантропология карасукской культуры. – М.: Изд-во ИЭА РАН, 2007. – 198 с.
10. Чикишева Т.А., Волков П.В., Кривошапкин А.Л., Титов А.В., Курбатов В.П., Зубова А.В. Технологии древних хирургов скифского времени: прижизненные трепанации у ранних кочевников Горного Алтая // Археология, этнография и антропология Евразии. – 2014. – № 4. – С. 146–154.
11. Чикишева Т.А., Зубова А.В., Кривошапкин А.Л., Курбатов В.П., Волков П.В., Титов А.Т. Комплексное исследование трепанаций у ранних кочевников Горного Алтая // Археология, этнография и антропология Евразии. – 2014. – № 1. – C. 130–141.
12. Чикишева Т.А., Кривошапкин А.Л. Комплексное исследование прижизненных трепанаций у древнего населения Южной Сибири // Мультидисциплинарные методы в археологии: новейшие итоги и перспективы: мат-лы Междунар. симп. – Новосибирск: Изд-во ИАЭТ СО РАН, 2017. – С. 382–391.
13. Crubezy E., Bruzek J., Guilaine J., Rouge D., Cunha E., Jelinek J. The antiquity of cranial surgery in Europe and in the Mediterranean basin // C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris. Earth and Planetary Sciences. – 2001. – Vol. 332. – P. 417–423.
14. Erdal Y.S., Erdal Ö.D. A Review of Trepanations in Anatolia with New Cases // Intern. J. Osteoarchaeol. – 2011. – Vol. 21, iss. 5. – P. 505–534.
15. Gresky J., Batieva E., Kitova A., Kalmykov A., Belinskiy A., Reinhold S., Berezina N. New Cases of Trepanations from the 5th to 3rd Millennia BC in Southern Russia in the Context of Previous Research: Possible Evidence for a Ritually Motivated Tradition of Cranial Surgery? // Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. – 2016. – Vol. 160. – P. 665–682.
16. Hillson S. Dental anthropology. – Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1996. – 373 p.
17. Kangxin H., Xingcan Ch. The archaeological evidence of trepanation in early China // Indo-Paciphic Prehistory Association Bull. – 2007. – Vol. 27. – P. 22–27.
18. Krivoshapkin A.L., Chikisheva T.A., Zubova A.V., Kurbatov V.P., Titov A.V., Volkov P.V. Scythian Trepanations in the Gorny Altai at Hippocratic Times: Modern Expert Appraisal of Ancient Surgical Technologies // World Neurosurgery. – 2014. – Vol. 82, iss. 5. – P. 649–650.
19. Lillie M. Cranial surgery: The Epipaleolithic to Neolithic populations of Ukraine // Trepanation: History, Discovery, Theory / eds. R. Arnott, S. Finger, C. Smith. – Lisse: Swets and Zeitlinger, 2003. – P. 175–188.
20. Lorkiewicz W., Stolarczyk H., SmiszkiewiczSkwarska A., Zadzinska E. An interesting case of prehistoric trepanation from Poland: re-evaluation of the skull from the Franki Suchodolskie site // Intern. J. Osteoarchaeol. – 2005. – Vol. 15, iss. 2 – P. 115–123.
21. Lisowski F.P. Prehistoric and early historic trepanation // Diseases in antiquity: A Survey of the diseases, injuries and surgery of early populations / eds. D.R. Brothwell, A.T. Sundison. – Illinois: C.C. Thomas, Springfi eld, 1967. – P. 651–672.
22. Papagrigorakis M.J., Toulas P., Tsilivakos M.G., Kousoulis A.A., Skorda D., Orfanidis G., Synodinos P.N. Neurosurgery During the Bronze Age: A Skull Trepanation in 1900 BC Greece // World Neurosurgery. – 2014. – Vol. 81, iss. 2. – P. 431–435.
23. Prioreschi P. Possible reasons for Neolithic skull trephining // Perspectives in biology and medicine. – 1991. – Vol. 34, N 2. – P. 296–303.
24. Prioreschi P. A history of medicine. – 2nd ed. – Omaha: Horatius Press, 1996. – Vol. I: Primitive and ancient medicine. – 587 p.
25. Scott J.R., Turner C.G. II. The anthropology of modern human teeth. Dental morphology and its variation in recent human populations. – Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1997. – 382 p.
26. Slepchenko S.M., Vybornov A.V., Slavinsky V.S., Tsybankov A.A., Matveev V.E. Ante Mortem Cranial Trepanation in the Late Bronze Age in Western Siberia // Intern. J. Osteoarchaeol. – 2017. – Vol. 27, iss. 3. – P. 356–364.
27. Weber J., Wahl J. Neurosurgical aspects of trepanations from neolithic Times // Intern. J. Osteoarchaeol. – 2006. – Vol. 16, iss. 6. – P. 536–545.
For citation:
Chikisheva T.A., Krivoshapkin A.L., Pozdnyakov D.V., Volkov P.V. CRANIOTOMY AS A PREHISTORIC MEDICAL PRACTICE: A CASE OF ANTEMORTEM CRANIAL TREPANATION IN SOUTHERN SIBERIA IN THE LATE BRONZE AGE. Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia. 2018;46(1):133-143. https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2018.46.1.133-143
Views: 153
Email this article 