Bioarchaeologists May Have Just Discovered The Oldest Skull Surgery In North America

For more than four years, Simpson studied the remains of a North American man who was thought to have lived between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago in what is now modern-day Alabama. She presented her analysis at the annual meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists held on March 28, 2022.

Key findings from her analysis included the fact that the man’s skull had an oval-shaped opening that was evidently the result of a deliberate medical procedure. Further investigation revealed evidence of bone growth on the edges of the opening — indicating that the man not only survived the procedure but lived for more than a year after the surgery.

Simpson believes the skull surgery was performed to reduce swelling in the brain caused either by an attack or a severe fall. The man also had other injuries on his body, including a visible injury above his left eye, left arm, left leg, and collarbone. The nature of the leftover scars on the skull following the procedure was identical to that of ones left behind by similar ancient skull surgeries performed in other civilizations.

According to Simpson, most ancient skull surgeries utilized a process called trepanation that involved drilling tiny holes into the skull and, in some instances, scraping and cutting off parts of the skull. Ancient medical practitioners widely used the process as a potential cure for headaches caused by injury or disease.