First case of boring-and-cutting trepanation in ancient China
Tóm tắt
Trepanations on skulls have been practiced since prehistoric ages. Techniques and purposes of trepanations vary. There are many discoveries of trepanations in China, yet only three types of trepanation, drilling, scraping, and grooving, have been reported and described. In this article, the first case of the fourth type, boring-and-cutting, was reported from past discoveries in China. A cranium belonging to a young male from the Iron Age Chaiwopu cemetery, Xinjiang, China, presented two trepanations. Visual examination and computed topography image analyses revealed that a large oval-shaped trepanation on the left side of the cranium had a series of boring perforations along the margins of the opening, and signs of the bone were cut between the boring holes, a distinct morphology of the boring-and-cutting technique. The margins of the perforations had no signs of bone healing, and the large boring-and-cutting perforation on the left side of the cranium did not avoid important intracranial structures, suggesting that trepanation was practiced either perimortem or postmortem. The purpose of the trepanations on this individual is not clear, but possibly in memory of the dead or for passing spiritual strength.
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