Scars on 5,000-year-old skull showcase ancient technique in Samsun Museum

SAMSUN

The ancient technique of trepanation has been spotlighted in Türkiye’s northern province Samsun, as citizens flock to witness the scars etched on millennia-old skulls.

The intriguing discovery of trepanation in the region came on the heels of a 1981 excavation in İkizdere Mound in Bafra district, where a 5000-year-old skull bore evidence of early cranial surgeries.

Alongside the artifact, visitors touring Samsun Museum also find a 1,900-year-old skull subjected to the operation.

Analysis places the 5,000-year-old specimen in the early Bronze Age, while the latter hails from the late Hellenistic and early Roman Empire era of the ancient city of Amisos.

Trepanation derives from the Greek work "trypanon," denoting "hole", the museum elucidates. Anthropologists dub it "the skull-piercing operation," involving the deliberate removal of skull fragments to expose the brain.

Historical accounts and archeological evidence suggest various motives behind trepanation, ranging from treating head injuries to spiritual cleansing.

However, the potential ceremonial aspects cloud the true intent behind these ancient surgeries.

Approximately 50 instances of trepanation have been identified in Anatolia. Notably, the specimens from İkiztepe, considered to be the oldest widespread and developed trepanation center in the region, bear marks of both intentional surgeries and wartime trauma.

From five adult skeletons, one of which belonged to a young adult female and the others to males, all but one of the trepanations were caused by cutting, piercing and blunt-edged weapon wounds on the skulls during the early Bronze Age.

On the other hand, a trepanned elderly man with evidence of tumoral formations suggests a broader spectrum of health-related interventions in ancient times.