It is hard to fathom the way in which invasive surgery was carried out prior to the development of modern anaesthesia, but ancient people around the world have been cutting and drilling into the human body for thousands of years. Here we look at eight impressive but terrifying cases of ancient surgery, from rhinoplasty to leg surgery, dental implants, and brain surgery, in some cases dating back an incredible 11,000 years.
Ancient Cranial Surgery: Practice of Drilling Holes in the Cranium Found in Dozens of Skulls in Peru
Last year, archaeologists excavating burial caves in the south-central Andean province of Andahuaylas in Peru discovered the remains of 32 individuals dating back between 750 and 1000 years and, incredibly, they found evidence of 45 separate surgical procedures on the skulls of the individuals.
Cranial surgery, known as trephination, is one of the first ever surgical practices and is known to have begun in the Neolithic era. It involves drilling a hole in the skull of a living person to cure illness such as convulsions, headaches, infections or fractures. Although there is some merit to the technique and it is still practiced today for the relief of subdural haematoma, there is evidence to suggest that in ancient times people believed that illness was caused by a trapped spirit and that drilling a hole would allow the spirit to escape.
The skulls found in Peru show evidence that sections of the cranium were removed using a hand drill or a scraping tool, and this was conducted, of course, without the use of modern luxuries like anaesthesia. While some have suggested the skull traumas may have been the result of torture, Kurin explained that some of the remains showed evidence of their hair having been shaved and a herbal remedy placed over the wound, which all point to the fact that this was an attempt to heal sick or injured individuals.
“When you get a knock on the head that causes your brain to swell dangerously, or you have some kind of neurological, spiritual or psychosomatic illness, drilling a hole in the head becomes a reasonable thing to do,” said Danielle Kurin, a specialist in forensic anthropology.
An example of a skull that has undergone trephination, Peru. Photo source.
According to Kurin, it appears that they were experimenting with different ways of cutting into the skull. “It looks like they were trying different techniques, the same way we might try new medical procedures today,” she said. The idea was to go all the way through the bone but not touch the brain, so it took incredible skill and practice.
Amazingly, it appeared that many of the surgeries were successful as there was evidence of both the original wound and the surgical wound having been healed. When a patient didn’t survive, it seems that the skull was used for education purposes. “As bioarchaeologists, we can tell that they’re experimenting on recently dead bodies because we can measure the location and depths of the holes they’re drilling,” she said. “In one example, each hole is drilled a little deeper than the last. So you can imagine a guy in his prehistoric Peruvian medical school practicing with his hand drill to know how many times he needs to turn it to nimbly and accurately penetrate the thickness of a skull.”
According to Kurin, while these ancient people can’t speak to us directly, they do provide information that allows us to reconstruct some aspect of both their lives and their deaths.
2,000-year-old trepanation surgery in ancient Siberia
Russian scientists are examining ancient human skulls and testing bronze tools on a modern skull to see how doctors in Siberia more than 2,000 years ago performed brain surgery on three adults. It is still unknown what anesthetic, if any, was used to dull the pain during the surgery.
The Siberian Times reports that the surgeries were carried out using the same principles as those found in the Hippocratic Corpus, which requires strict adherence to medical ethics and techniques. Hippocrates wrote the oath around 500 B.C.
“Prominent Novosibirsk neurosurgeon Aleksei Krivoshapkin, who was asked to examine the skulls, said: ‘Honestly, I am amazed. We suspect now that in the time of Hippocrates, Altai people could do a very fine diagnosis and carry out skilful trepanations and fantastic brain surgery,” according to The Siberian Times.
The ancient doctor or doctors who performed the surgeries did them at a location on the skull that minimized damage to the brain and assured longer survival. Remarkably, it appears one of the men lived for years after the trepanation surgery because some of the bone grew back.
The Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science concluded the surgeons were highly skilled, especially considering they used only one primitive tool to scrape the skulls.
Trepanation is the oldest form of neurosurgery. Scholars, including archaeologists, anthropologists and doctors, speculate early nomads of the Altai Mountains learned the technique from the medical centers of the ancient world. Alternatively, they may have developed trepanation techniques contemporaneously with prominent doctors in Greece and the Middle East, The Siberian Times says.
The trepanned skulls were of two men and a woman who lived 2,300 to 2,500 years ago.
“Analysis last year showed one of the males, who was aged between 40 and 45, had suffered a head trauma and had developed a blood clot that likely left him suffering headaches, nausea, sickness and movement problems,” The Siberian Times article states.
“It was surmised that the trepanation would have been carried out to remove the hematoma, with evidence of later bone growth indicating the man survived the surgery and lived for years afterwards.”
Skull of middle-aged man with evidence of trepanation found in the Altai Mountains of Siberia (Credit: Institute of Archaeology – Will Stewart)
Doctors think the other man had surgery not because he suffered trauma but because he had a congenital skull deformation. There were no signs of trauma to the skull.
In both skulls doctors made a relatively small hole, allowing surgeons to access the brain where damage to joints and the membrane was minimal.
Modern scholars examined the skulls under a microscope to determine who the ancient surgeons were that conducted the operations. Of course there was no hint as to how the skin was removed, but they found the trepanation was done in two stages with one tool. First the surgeon or surgeons removed the surface layer of bone with a sharp tool, they then cut a hole in the skull, apparently to give access to the brain.
Krivoshapkin told The Siberian Times:
All three trepanations were performed by scraping. From the traces on the surface of the studied skulls, you can see the sequence of actions of the surgeons during the operations. It is clearly seen that the ancient surgeons were very exact and confident in their moves, with no traces of unintentionally chips, which are quite natural when cutting bone.
Krivoshapkin tried using a Tagar blade from the region that had been in a museum, on a modern skull, but the knife was too flimsy.
A replica of a bronze knife from the time was then made using modern elements by archaeologist Andrei Borodovsky, a doctor of historical sciences. Krivoshapkin then re-enacted the surgery. He said it took effort and about 28 minutes. He said the Altai region at the time was a place where the people worked in bone a lot, and that helped them understand how to do the trepanation surgery.
From jewel-capped teeth to golden bridges – 9,000 years of dentistry
Dentistry, in some form or another, has been practiced for at least 14,000 years, although tooth extraction and remedies for toothaches probably go back much further. The study of ancient remains from around the world has demonstrated the ingenuity that existed in the application of surgical and cosmetic dental practices.
In 2018, paleoanthropologist Stefano Benazzi from the University of Bologna in Italy identified the oldest known evidence of dentistry, dating back to the Late Upper Paleolithic. The well-preserved skeletal remains of a young man – dating back around 14,000 years – found in northern Italy in 1988 were pulled out for examination. Using scanning electron microscopy, scientists revealed micro-scratches, chipping and cut marks on the tooth caused by sharp flint tools during scratching and levering to attack what would have been a painful cavity. The infected tooth was found to have been partially cleaned with the flint tools, marking an important development in the history of prehistoric dental surgery treatments.
The earliest discovery of dentistry found in Bologna, Italy, dated 14,000 years (Open Access / Scientific Reports)
The year prior, Dr Benazzi had made another significant discovery – the world’s most ancient dental fillings. They were spotted inside a pair of 13,000-year-old front teeth and were made of bitumen Each of the individual’s front teeth had a large hole in the incisor surface that extended down into the pulp chamber deep in the tooth. The holes had tiny horizontal marks that suggested they were drilled out and it appeared that bitumen was added to the cavity at the same time as the drilling. Researchers also found plant fibers and hair trapped in the bitumen, which may have been part of the filling material. According to Dr Benazzi, the fillings most likely served the same purpose they do today: to reduce pain and keep food out of the cavities. The research team suggested that the bitumen and plant matter filler was chosen for its antiseptic qualities; used to prevent infection.
A later example of a dental filling was found in Slovenia in a 6,500-year-old jawbone, which had a cavity deep enough to impact the dentin layer of the tooth – it had been packed with beeswax. Scientists are not sure how effective this was, but it probably reduced the pain and swelling.
Tooth Drilling Advances
The Indus Valley Civilization yielded archaeological evidence for the earliest use of bow drills in dentistry, dating back 9,000 years. Sites in Pakistan revealed dental practices involving curing tooth related disorders with bow drills operated, perhaps, by skilled bead craftsmen. Scientists recreated the bow drills using the same natural materials: a stringed wooden bow was tied to a rotating spindle and the spindle was used as a drill with a flint head made to penetrate teeth. They found that this ancient form of dentistry was both reliable and effective.
An experimental reconstruction of a bow and flint-tipped drill used to bore through molar teeth found at a Neolithic graveyard in Mehrgarh, Pakistan. Photo source.
The Myth of the Tooth Worm
The first and most enduring explanation for what causes tooth decay was the tooth worm, as depicted in the ivory sculptures to the left, which was first noted by the Sumerians around 5000 BC. The hypothesis was that tooth decay was the result of a tooth worm boring into and decimating the teeth. This is logical, as the holes created by cavities are somewhat similar to those bored by worms into wood.
The idea of the tooth worm has been found in the writings of the ancient Greek philosophers and poets, as well as those of the ancient Indian, Japanese, Egyptian, and Chinese cultures. It endured as late as the 1300s, when French surgeon Guy de Chauliac still promoted the belief that worms cause tooth decay.
Dentistry in Ancient Egypt
Historical records reveal numerous dental and hygiene procedures practiced by the ancient Egyptians. The Edwin Smith Papyrus, written in the 17th century BC, but which may reflect previous manuscripts from as early as 3000 BC, includes the treatment of several dental ailments, and the Ebers Papyrus, dating to the 16th century BC, contains 11 recipes which pertain to oral issues. Four
of these are remedies for loose teeth: the tooth in question is filled with a mixture that is akin to a modern day composite filling: a filler agent (ground barley) is mixed with a liquid matrix (honey) and an antiseptic agent (yellow ochre). This is either used as an actual filling, or as a splint to keep the tooth in place. Scientists performing CT scans on the head of a 2,100-year-old Egyptian mummy also found evidence for cavities being filled with linen, which may have first been dipped in a medicine such as fig juice or cedar oil.
Hesi-Re is the first named “dentist” in ancient Egypt and the world. He was an official, physician and scribe who lived during the Third Dynasty of Egypt, around 1600 BC, and served under the pharaoh Djoser. He bore titles such as “Chief of Dentists and Physicians”, “Doctor of the Tooth” and “Chief of the King’s Scribes”. While he was ranked chief of dentists, it is not entirely clear what this title actually means, but he is credited as being the first man to recognise periodontal disease (gum disease).
Pharaonic physicians were no strangers to reconstruction work: there have been three instances of a dental bridge: one or more lost teeth reattached by means of a gold or silver wire to the surrounding teeth. In some cases, a bridge was made using donor teeth. However, it is unclear whether these works were performed during the life of the patient or after death – to tidy them up, as it were, before their burial.
Incredible dental work found on a 4,000-year-old mummy. The two centre teeth are donor teeth.
Maya Bling
The Maya are credited with being the masters of cosmetic dentistry as they were known to decorate teeth by embedding them with precious stones or by carving notches and grooves into them. Tiny holes were chipped out of teeth and ornamental stones—including jade—were attached with an adhesive made out of natural resins, such as plant sap, which was mixed with other chemicals and crushed bones. The dentists likely had a sophisticated knowledge of tooth anatomy because they knew how to drill into teeth without hitting the pulp inside.
In 2016, archaeologists unearthed the 1,600-year-old skeleton of an upper-class woman in Mexico’s famous ruins of Teotihuacan. She had an elongated skull, a prosthetic tooth made of a green stone known as serpentine and her top front teeth were encrusted with round pyrite stones. This was a practice that was used among the nobility in Maya regions in southern Mexico and Central America.
Mayan ‘bling’ on a male skull found in Chiapas, Mexico. Photo source.
Dentistry of the Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages and throughout the 19th century, dentistry was not a profession in itself, and often dental procedures were performed by barbers or general physicians. Barbers usually limited their practice to extracting teeth which alleviated pain and associated chronic tooth infection.
In the 1400s, dentures seemed to take more of the modernized shape that we see today. These dentures were still made from carved animal bone or ivory, but some were made from human teeth. Grave robbers often used to steal the teeth from recently deceased people and sell them to dentists, and the poor used to make money by having their teeth extracted and selling them. The finished denture would not be very aesthetically pleasing or very stable in the mouth and was often tied to the patients remaining teeth. Another problem that occurred with these dentures is that they tended not to last long and began to rot over time.
In 1723, French surgeon Pierre Fauchard published ‘The Surgeon Dentist, A Treatise on Teeth’, and became known as the Father of Modern Dentistry because his book was the first to describe a comprehensive system for caring for and treating the teeth.
The modern dental practices of today could not have developed without the ingenuity and experimentation of ancient people beginning at least 9,000 years ago.
Evidence of successful brain surgery and ancient pharmaceutical warehouse found in Turkey
Archaeologists have unearthed evidence of ancient surgery among the remains of people who lived in a settlement near Istanbul, Turkey, between the 11 th and 6 th centuries B.C. A skull, buried among the many remains undergoing excavation in the location of the ancient Roman city of Bathonea, was found to have been cut into, and examinations showed the patient survived the apparent surgery.
Excavation team member and forensic science expert Ömer Turan told Hurriyet Daily News, “The skull of this person, who is over the age of 30, was cut very regularly by medical workers, just like today’s brain surgeons. It is a painful process to open the skull. A person cannot tolerate this pain and should be anaesthetized, so this type of operation in such an early era makes us think there was a kind of anesthesia. Biological studies on the bones will enable us to find out which substance was used. The traces of recovery are apparent in the place of operation.”
Over 400 small bottles have been unearthed on site. Chemical examination revealed that these terracotta unguentarium had contained methanone, phenanthrene, and phenanthrene carboxylic acid. Study showed the bottles had been filled with the mixed chemicals deliberately, added with the use of specific calculations. These findings, and the quantity of bottles, led Turan and the excavation team to surmise the location was a production center. Turan told Hurriyet Daily News, “This place may be a drug production or storage center; like a pharmaceutical warehouse. There are studies related to the flora of the region. It is believed that this region was rich in plant diversity. The stock of these drugs may be here.”
The chemicals found may have been used as anesthesia, painkillers, or narcotics; some are materials which prevent drug deterioration, and some have anesthetic properties. They are still used for similar purposes in modern medicine. Compounds may have made some of the skull or brain surgeries survivable, and provided a kind of pain management.
Roman Terracotta Unguentaria, fourth century B.C. Credit: The Trustees of the British Museum
Evidence for early skull and brain surgery has also been found at the Asikli Hoyuk archaeological dig in Turkey. Researchers found skulls at Asikli Hoyuk demonstrating the earliest-known form of skull surgery. Trepanation, or drilling holes into the skull in an attempt to relieve or cure ailments or mental illness, has been found on skulls at the ancient Neolithic settlement. However, it appears that such procedures had nothing to do with physical injury and it is not known why it was practiced. Some patients survived trepanning, and some did not.
Neolithic burial at Aşıklı Höyük of remains in a fetal (hocker) position, arms embracing the legs. Wikimedia, CC
The history of head surgery may date back to the late Stone Age. In 1998, archaeologists recovered human skulls on the Tibetan Plateau bearing healed cracks. Experts deduced that these 5,000 year old craniotomies were therapeutic, meant to heal the spirit, and not necessarily the body. Karma Trinley, associate professor of Tibetan language and literature at Tibet University told HISTORY, “Some believed it was a religious ritual to dispel evils or bring happiness, while others held that it was a therapy used by witches and wizards.” However, study of the 2,900-year-old Buddhist text, the Tibetan Tripitaka, suggests the ancient doctors in fact used brain surgery as a way to treat symptoms.
Since 2010 the Kocaeli University Department of Forensic Science has been conducting excavations at Bathonea in the Küçükçekmece lake basin in Turkey, and has unearthed almost 70 graves belonging to people of all ages. Forensic examinations show the early humans were tough people who worked hard and didn’t have much to eat, and as a result died early. Their bones reveal chronic health issues including rheumatism and arthritis, and they had backbone damage overall. Their teeth were worn from chewing tough, probably unbaked, food and grains.
A Neolithic grindstone for processing and grinding grains. Wikipedia, CC
The discovery of a successful brain operation from antiquity, and the details of the lives of the ancient residents of Bathonea serve to broaden modern understanding of ancient medicine, and the culture which depended upon it.
The Sushruta Samhita and Plastic Surgery in Ancient India, 6th century B.C.
Plastic surgery seems to be an invention of the modern age. The desire to attain physical beauty is no doubt one of the factors that has contributed to the popularity of this procedure. Apart from cosmetic reasons, plastic surgery is also carried out for reconstructive purposes. Yet, plastic surgery has been around longer than most people realize. One of the earliest instances of plastic surgery can be found in the Sushruta Samhita, an important medical text from India.
The Sushruta Samhita is commonly dated to the 6 th century B.C., and is attributed to the physician Sushruta (meaning ‘very famous’ in Sanskrit). The Sushruta Samhita’s most well-known contribution to plastic surgery is the reconstruction of the nose, known also as rhinoplasty. The process is described as such:
The portion of the nose to be covered should be first measured with a leaf. Then a piece of skin of the required size should be dissected from the living skin of the cheek, and turned back to cover the nose, keeping a small pedicle attached to the cheek. The part of the nose to which the skin is to be attached should be made raw by cutting the nasal stump with a knife. The physician then should place the skin on the nose and stitch the two parts swiftly, keeping the skin properly elevated by inserting two tubes of eranda (the castor-oil plant) in the position of the nostrils, so that the new nose gets proper shape. The skin thus properly adjusted, it should then be sprinkled with a powder of licorice, red sandal-wood and barberry plant. Finally, it should be covered with cotton, and clean sesame oil should be constantly applied. When the skin has united and granulated, if the nose is too short or too long, the middle of the flap should be divided and an endeavor made to enlarge or shorten it.
A statue dedicated to Sushruta at the Patanjali Yogpeeth institute in Haridwar. Wikimedia, CC
Other contributions of the Sushruta Samhita towards the practice of plastic surgery include the use of cheek flaps to reconstruct absent ear lobes, the use of wine as anesthesia, and the use of leeches to keep wounds free of blood clots.
It may also be pointed out that the Sushruta Samhita is also one of the foundational texts of the Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India. Therefore, the Sushruta Samhita contains more than just the description of plastic surgery procedures. The Sushruta Samhita, in its existing form, is said to consist of 184 chapters containing descriptions of 1,120 illnesses, as well as several hundred types of drugs made from animals, plants and minerals. Furthermore, the Sushruta Samhita also contains 300 surgical procedures divided into 8 categories, and 121 different types of surgical instruments.
In addition, Sushruta taught that in order to be a good doctor, one should possess medical knowledge in both its theoretical and practical forms. To this end, he devised various experimental modules (these can also be found in the Sushruta Samhita) for his students to practice the different surgical procedures contained in his medical text. For instance, ‘incision’ and ‘excision’ were to be practiced on vegetables and leather bags filled with mud of different densities, ‘probing’ on moth-eaten wood or bamboo, and ‘puncturing’ on the veins of dead animals and lotus stalks.
The Edwin Smith Papyrus – the world’s oldest surviving surgical document – details practical treatments to illnesses and injury, but does not mention plastic or reconstructive surgery like the Sushruta Samhita. Written in hieratic script in ancient Egypt around 1,600 B.C. Public Domain
During the 8 th century A.D., the Sushruta Samhita was translated into Arabic by a person known as Ibn Abillsaibial. This Arabic translation, known as the Kitab Shah Shun al-Hindi or the Kitab i-Susurud, eventually made its way to Europe by the end of the medieval period. In Renaissance Italy, the Branca family of Sicily, and the Bolognese doctor, Gasparo Tagliacozzi, were familiar with the surgical techniques found in the Sushruta Samhita. Nevertheless, European mastery of plastic surgery, and surgery in general, only came several centuries later. Meanwhile, in India the Suhruta Samhita has made Indian physicians highly skilled in surgical practice. In 1794, an account was published in the Gentleman’s Magazine of London describing the use of plastic surgery used to reconstruct the nose of a Maratha cart-driver mutilated by the soldiers of Tippu Sultan. The procedure was similar to that taught by Sushruta, though instead of grafting skin from the cheek, skin from the forehead was grafted instead. In a way, this shows that medical knowledge in India was not a dead subject, and that innovations could be made to further refine surgical techniques from the 6 th century B.C. Thus, Sushruta’s procedure for rhinoplasty was introduced to the West in this manner.
First Ever Evidence for Ancient Bone Surgery found in Peru – Holes Drilled in Legs
Drilling holes in the head, otherwise known as trepanation, is the earliest surgical technique known. Holes were bored into a patient’s skull in an attempt to relieve physical ailments and mental illness. Researchers have now discovered the first example of the drilling technique used on other body parts in pre-Columbian Peru.
In a study published in the International Journal of Paleopathology, physical anthropologist and professor at University of Central Florida, Dr. J Marla Toyne writes that marks were identified on two skeletons found at the pre-Columbian site of Kuelap, in northeastern Peru. The bones of the individuals, dated to 800–1535 CE, displayed evidence of having undergone drilling techniques on their legs in a manner similar to trepanation. It is thought this was done to treat a possible lower leg infection, and this is a rare find.
Numerous cases of trepanation can be found throughout various cultures, and the practice dates back to Neolithic times. Researchers say that abnormal behavior in people was believed to be caused by evil spirits, and illnesses ranging from migraines and seizures to mental disorders were treated with trepanation. Bits of the extracted bone would sometimes be kept by the prehistoric patients and worn as a charm or as jewelry to ward off evil.
Trepanated skull from Neolithic period. The rim of the hole in the skull is rounded off by ingrowth of new bony tissue, indicating that the patient survived the operation. Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
Evidence for this early skull and brain surgery has been found at the Asikli Hoyuk archaeological dig in Turkey. Researchers found skulls at Asikli Hoyuk demonstrating the earliest-known form of skull surgery at the ancient Neolithic settlement. However, at that site it appears that such procedures had nothing to do with physical injury, and it is not known why it was practiced. Some patients survived trepanning, which was determined by evidence of healing and regrowth of bone, and some did not.
In the case study abstract for Kuelap, Toyne says that although the Chachapoya shamans of Peru were known for their therapies and healing skills, in this particular instance, the drilling procedures do not show evidence of healing, suggesting the patients died soon after.
According to Katy Meyers Emery for anthropology blog Bones Don’t Lie, the ancient indigenous peoples of the Chachapoyas region of Peru were innovative in their practice of healing and medical therapies.
“Numerous texts speak of the skills of the indigenous healers and note the presence of specialists who could deal with significant injuries, diseases and complicated medical treatments. Other bioarchaeological examples of surgery from this region and period show that they were able to do quite complex surgical interventions with success- the human remains show signs of amputations with clear healing of the bone,” reports Emery .
The two skeletons from the Kuelap site in Peru were male, one aged 30 to 34 years old, the other an adolescent. Examinations revealed the pair were seemingly healthy overall, without major stresses detected on the bones. However, the depth and placement of the drilled holes suggest the surgeries were done to relieve pressure from an injury or infection which caused a build-up of fluid in the leg.
View from Kuelap fortress, Chachapoyas-Amazonas, northeastern highlands of Peru. Researchers have discovered the first evidence of surgery on skeletal non-cranial remains. Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
It is not known for certain whether the drillings were done on a living patient suffering from infection who died during the surgery, or whether these procedures were done on the recently deceased as training for novices. Such experimentation on dead bodies was a trial and error method used in order to perfect technique.
Bioarchaeologist Danielle Kurin says that ancient skull trepanation required incredible skill and practice. Kurin tells Latin Times, “The idea with this surgery is to go all the way through the bone, but not touch the brain. […] As bioarchaeologists, we can tell that they’re experimenting on recently dead bodies because we can measure the location and depths of the holes they’re drilling. In one example, each hole is drilled a little deeper than the last. So you can imagine a guy in his prehistoric Peruvian medical school practicing with his hand drill to know how many times he needs to turn it to nimbly and accurately penetrate the thickness of a skull.”
Although the drilling treatment may seem extreme or unsuitable to modern eyes, Dr. Toyne concludes that the marks show ancient medical knowledge was available to the Chachapoya of Peru, and the healers provided the best care they could for their patients.
11,000-year-old site of Asikli Hoyuk in Turkey reveals early brain surgery
The ancient Neolithic settlement of Asikli Hoyuk (Aşıklı Höyük) boasts many important discoveries. Excavations have revealed crucial information on the history of brain surgery, early mining, astounding craftsmanship, and human transitions from nomadic to sedentary lifestyles. Yet Asikli Hoyuk, found 25 kilometers southeast of Aksaray, Turkey, is often overshadowed by popular sites like Göbekli Tepe.
Nevertheless, the site continues to astound archaeologists and visitors alike as it reveals the secrets of the original inhabitants dating back to 9000 B.C., even after 25 years of modern excavation.
Example of the semi-subterranean oval-shaped huts found at Aşıklı Höyük, Turkey (Hurriyet Daily News)
Professor Mihriban Özbaşaran of İstanbul University, head of the research project at Asikli Hoyuk, has continued the excavations which began in 1989. According to Hurriyet Daily News, the major importance of the site is the role it played in the history of the region as early hunters and gatherers shifted from nomadic lifestyles to more permanent villages. They began producing their own goods with techniques that we still don’t fully understand today. Özbaşaran told Hurriyet Daily News, “Before, they were in small groups on the move. Here is the first time they started to be together for 24 hours as a community.” It was then that animal domestication, manufacturing and construction developed due to interaction with other populations.
Asikli Hoyuk was located near an obsidian source, and became a base of trade which stretched to modern day Cyprus and Iraq. Wikipedia notes that some 6,000 obsidian objects were retrieved from the surface layer of the site. This count eventually included fragments of a unique obsidian bracelet, significant due to its age and the high level of craftsmanship involved. The glossy piece, made of obsidian – a very hard volcanic glass – required highly specialized techniques, and experts still do not know how it was accomplished.
“Using high-tech methods developed by LTDS [Laboratoire de Tribologie et de Dynamiques des Systèmes] to study the bracelet’s surface and its micro-topographic features, the researchers have revealed the astounding technical expertise of craftsmen in the eighth millennium BC. Their skills were highly sophisticated for this period in late prehistory, and on a par with today’s polishing techniques,” reports Archaeology News Network.
Oldest obsidian bracelet ever identified, Asikli Hoyuk, Turkey. (Source)
Remains have been found at the site, revealing many things about the ancient inhabitants. Several skeletons were located buried beneath houses, including many children, younger women and older men. Men seemed to live into their 50’s, while women frequently died much earlier, in their 20’s and 30’s. However, researchers provide no firm conclusions as to why men might have outlived the women in the settlement, nor whether burial style represented status. “Looking at the way they lived and burial rituals, we could not find any sign that would suggest the presence of a hierarchy in the community. We can’t discern a ruling class for instance,” Professor Özbaşaran told Hurriyet Daily News.
Archaeolgoists found skulls at Asikli Hoyuk demonstrating the earliest-known brain surgery. Trepanation, or drilling holes into the skull in an attempt to relieve or cure ailments or mental illness, has been found on skulls at the site.
Burial at Aşıklı Höyük of remains in a fetal (hocker) position, arms embracing the legs. S. Murray (Wikipedia)
Excavations continue, and archaeologists suggest that the work and discoveries will continue for another 25 years in this location so full of history.
Researchers at Asikli Hoyuk have created streets and full-size replica houses, examples of the traditional semi-subterranean, mud-brick architecture, with the intention of creating an open air museum. This is hoped to bring humanity’s past into perspective, and give a glimpse into the lives and beliefs of Neolithic man during an era of transition.
Archaeologists discover 2,300-year-old dental implant in Iron Age burial chamber
A study in May, 2014 revealed the discovery of an Iron Age tooth implant among the remains of a Celtic woman in northern France. The implant is the oldest of its kind discovered in western Europe.
The finding was made in a 2,300-year-old richly furnished burial chamber in Le Chene, France. The iron implant, which is the same size and shape as incisors from her upper jaw, was found alongside the rest of her teeth. It is believed that the iron pin was covered with a wooden- or ivory-carved tooth
A new study published in the journal Antiquity has revealed the discovery of an Iron Age tooth implant among the remains of a Celtic woman in northern France. The implant is the oldest of its kind discovered in western Europe, according to a report in The Guardian.
The finding was made in a 2,300-year-old richly furnished burial chamber in Le Chene, France. The iron implant, which is the same size and shape as incisors from her upper jaw, was found alongside the rest of her teeth. It is believed that the iron pin was covered with a wooden- or ivory-carved tooth.
The teeth in position during the excavation. The iron pin is visible on the left. Photo credit: Antiquity Publications
“The teeth were in an anatomical position, with the molars, pre-molars, canines and incisors. Then there was this piece of metal. My first reaction was: what is this?” said Guillaume Seguin, who excavated the young woman’s skeleton.
The teeth were taken away for a closer look. It was discovered that the woman had 31 teeth rather than 32, and the iron pin was in place where the missing tooth would have been. Although not known for certain, it is believed that the implant was added after death to make the woman look beautiful in her tomb, as hammering the pin into the jaw of a living person would have been extremely painful, and could have caused a fatal infection.
Dentistry, in some form or another, has been practiced for at least 9,000 years, although tooth extraction and remedies for tooth aches probably go back much further. The study of ancient remains from around the world has demonstrated the ingenuity that existed in the application of surgical and cosmetic dental practices going back many millennia. The Indus Valley Civilisation has yielded evidence for the earliest form of dentistry, in the form of bow drills, which date back to 7000 BC.
Incredible dental work found on a 4,000-year-old mummy. The two centre teeth are donor teeth.
In ancient Egypt, Pharaonic physicians were no strangers to reconstruction works: there have been three instances of a dental bridge: one or more lost teeth reattached by means of a gold or silver wire to the surrounding teeth. In some cases, a bridge was made using donor teeth. However, like the latest discovery, it’s a bit unclear whether these works were performed during the life of the patient or after death – to tidy them up, as it were, before their burial.