Trepanations

 

Osteological Interpretations of Pre Columbian South America
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====In addition to amputations, trepanations are one of the oldest surgical procedures in human history. Trepanations were occuring thousands of years before present and were fairly widespread. There is a site in France called Ensisheim that dates to 7,000 BP. At this site, 40 of the 120 skulls found had evidence of trepanations. The skulls were also healed over which suggests that the individuals survived the operation and the wound healed. Trepanations were also used in the New World. In the Cuzco region of Peru, 66 skulls were found with evidence of undergoing a trephination. The majority of those with trepanations had a healing period that lasted years in which the crania remodeled and rounded the holes. Very few cases showed any evidence of an infection in the trepanned area. ====  ==== What reason would the people of Cuzco haver for performing such risky operations? This surgery was believed to relieve health problems pertaining to the skull. It was presumed that it would cure mental ailments, epileptic seizures, as well as migraines. Trepanations were also used for trauma cases and would eliminate any signs of distress. The Spanish recorded that the Incas had individuals who suffered from epilepsy according to the records of Garcilaso de la Vega and Guaman Poma. However the Spanish did not record anything resembling trepanations in their accounts. Another suggestion for the reason of trepanning is that it is a cultural or religious practice. Although, the surgery is quite dramatic and is not recounted by the Spanish, which makes it seem more likely that it was used for its healing effects. ==== ====The process of a trepanation was executed in two different ways by the South American inhabitants. One of the widely used processes was circular grooving. This action would remove a circular piece of the bone. The other technique was scraping. This method would scrape the bone away. The way most people view a trepanation is when an instrument would drill into the skull and a hole would remain in the cranium, as is depicted in the left picture. ==== ====  //Female skull on left, male on right.// ==== ====The majority of trepanned individuals were males, with a ratio of almost two to one. The ages of most were 15 to 25 years old, with only one individual under 15 having a trepanation. Children rarely ever received the surgery which lends to the idea that they were only used to treat traumatic injuries. The demographics of trepanned individuals does not indicate that it was reserved for special or higher ranking individuals. this also contributes to the motive being for trauma. ==== ====These cases reflect the depth of knowledge of the cranial and its anatomy as there was a relatively high survival rate in Cuzco unlike in other areas (78.1% compared to 43.6% in the highlands and 36.2% in the southern coast). They also had antiseptics that prevented infections and established techniques. The evidence of multiple healed trepanations argues that the Incas were becoming more skilled in their execution of trepanations and following healing processes. Yet, the record of cranial surgeries is muddled by the procedure of skull modifications. ====