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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Long-Term Imaging of Identified Neural Populations using Microprisms in Freely Moving and Head-Fixed Animals

Long-Term Imaging of Identified Neural Populations using Microprisms in Freely Moving and Head-Fixed Animals

Published on: January 19, 2024

Chapter 1: ancient trepanation.

John W Verano¹, Stanley Finger

¹Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA. verano@tulane.edu

Handbook of Clinical Neurology

|November 7, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Ancient cranial trepanations, surgical openings in skulls, were performed for millennia. The reasons behind these ancient brain surgeries remain a subject of ongoing scientific and historical debate.

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Area of Science:

Paleopathology
Neurohistory
Archaeological Medicine

Background:

Cranial trepanations, surgical perforations of the skull, have ancient origins dating back over 5000 years in Europe and the 5th century BC in the New World.
Recognition of trepanation as a surgical procedure performed on living individuals emerged in the mid-19th century.

Observation:

Pioneering neurologists and neurosurgeons like Paul Broca and Victor Horsley were among the first to report on ancient trepanned skulls.
Disagreements between Broca and Horsley regarding the purpose of these ancient cranial surgeries highlight early debates in the field.

Findings:

Peru exhibits the highest number of discovered trepanned crania globally.
Many Peruvian trepanned skulls show associations with battle-related head trauma, offering significant insights.

Implications:

The findings provide crucial data for neurologists, neurosurgeons, and neurohistorians studying ancient surgical practices and trauma.
Understanding the context of trepanations, particularly in regions like Peru, deepens our knowledge of historical medical interventions and their outcomes.