First Brain Surgeons – Part 7/7 (ca. 3,000 BC)

By: The Scribe on May, 2007

ancient brain surgery Contrary to popular belief, it appears that the ancient Egyptians were not the first people to conduct brain surgery in the ancient world! A skull unearthed at the Burnt City has provided evidence of surgical practices that appear to have dethroned the ancient Egyptians as originators of such a highly skilled task.

This skull from ancient Persia, found in one of the Burnt City’s many burials, contains markings thought to have first been mentioned in an ancient Egyptian tale called “The Story of Sinuhe”, written around 2000 BC in hieroglyphs. In the story, an Egyptian physician and nobleman named Sinuhe discusses open brain surgeries in detail. Although there is still debate around whether or not the events described in the story actually took place, elements of the tale that are described in great detail – such as brain surgery – are typically assumed to be factual accounts, simply because of the great level of detail included.

It now appears that, with the appearance of this skull, archaeologists can comfortably say that the practice of brain surgery did not originate in ancient Egypt, but rather in Iran, the location of ancient Persia. While some smaller prehistoric sites in Europe have yielded skulls with holes on top, it is thought that this may have been done for aesthetic or cultural purposes, rather than medical, simply due to the smaller size of the holes.

The typical method of brain surgery at this time was called ‘trepanation’, which involves cutting or drilling a hole into the patient’s skull. This was done to relieve pressure from excess fluids around the brain, or in some cases, possibly to release ‘evil spirits’ from those with mental disorders. It appears that in most cases, the patient survived months or even years after their surgeries.

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